Risks
by Rutoh-Chan
Summary: -First Date Challenge- Kyoko is in denial and in typical Kyoko-like trouble.  When Ren is asked to pull her out of it, he has to decide how far he is willing to go, and how much he is willing to put on the line, to be with her.
1. Terms and Conditions

_My contribution to the First Date Challenge. I should probably apologize in advance to all the arachnophobes who will be reading this. I hope that you all enjoy the first chapter._

_Rules:_

_ 1: Cannot be a "fake" date or a LoveMe assignment_  
_2: Feelings must be established from at least one side, i.e. at least one of them has to have confessed to the other (doesn't need to have happened in the fic, but bonus points if you include it!)_  
_3: There must be some sort of kissing (doesn't matter when)_  
_4: You must incorporate a love rival into the story (we need drama/conflict! use any existing character you like, no matter how minor)_  
_5: Must end with Kyoko/Ren!  
_

* * *

It began with a "What are you doing this Saturday?" and ended in something perilously close to a breakup.

Which was ridiculous, because they were _not_ dating. Kyoko had made it very clear to Ren when he had "confessed" right after he had finished filming as BJ that she knew his feelings were getting confused with Cain's and that he did _not_ need to worry because she was going to forget it had ever happened. Immediately.

But while they had continued to interact occasionally as coworkers, Kyoko had not been able to quite forget Ren's confession. And in not forgetting his confession, all of the things that he did and had done, every little one, confused her. Was that a senpai/kohai offer, or the generosity of a man who supposedly… well, she was not going to use the L-word, and Ren did _not_ have any special feelings for her. At all. Ever.

And now she could be absolutely certain of that fact because he had just refused, point blank, with some derision, her one request that would have truly saved her from a mess of trouble.

If she was being really honest, the entire incident had begun two weeks before with the untimely appearance of Fuwa Sho at TBM studios one late night after she had been recording as Bo. She was hot, tired, newly confused about Ren's declaration of… feelings, smelled like the inside of a giant animal costume, and desperately wanted to get home. So running into Sho had been the tiny spark needed to ignite her flames of gently churning wrath.

"What are _you_ doing here?" she had growled when she saw him leaning against a wall in a deserted corridor. The deserted factor was probably due to the late hour, since this was normally a well used hallway, which made it even stranger that Sho would be here of all places. Before she spoke he had a deliberating look on his face. He had looked up in surprise, then shifted into a cocky smirk.

"Oh, it's you," he replied casually, shifting into a more upright position and glancing down at her in bemusement. "I guess this is my lucky day."

Kyoko realized she had made a mistake, that he was not waiting for her, but she was too irritable to simply walk away. Her heart was in turmoil, and she needed to spread it around. Her demons churned, begging to strangle their sighted prey.

"Lucky how?" she demanded in a short tone. Sho's smile grew.

"_I'm _here because I just got confirmation for the opening act of my next concert. My biggest one this year." His smarmy smirk became more pronounced. "What are _you_ doing here? Half bit acting job?"

Kyoko ground her teeth in irritation, unable to confess that she had been here as Bo. She threw her head up, folded her arms across her chest, and gave him her best dismissive look.

"That's none of your business!" she declared haughtily. "Now if you don't mind, I have places I need to be."

"At ten at night?" Sho asked in disbelief. Then he frowned. "Got a date with your half rate senior?" Kyoko stiffened.

"Why would I have a date with Tsuruga-san?" she asked tightly, her demons dissipating in a poof. "We aren't dating. He doesn't even l-like me!" Sho caught her stutter and stalked over, grabbing her wrist so she couldn't escape.

"Doesn't he?" the singer demanded, watching her glance away anxiously. "Well?"

"He- he doesn't," she answered, as forcefully as she could. "And I don't have a date with him." This she could say with conviction, meeting his eyes again. She had no date with Ren, and no plans for a date either. Sho studied her carefully for a minute before he released her.

"You're a lousy liar, Kyoko," he told her, releasing her. "You're up to something. Got some other secret rendezvous?"

"No," she retorted. "I need to get home and I don't own a car. Even you should have some comprehension of how important it is for a budding star to protect herself. I have to leave now if I don't want to take even more risks." She said this with an aura of assurance she did not quite feel. She hoped to shame him, but was surprised when he instead looked almost… anxious.

"You're walking home? Alone?" Why was he so surprised?

"_I _don't have a manager with a car," she pointed out, her tone patronizing. She expected him to be offended, but instead he frowned some more and grabbed her hand.

"Come on."

He started dragging her down the hallway, ignoring her shrieks and protests. She pulled as hard as she could against him, her legs ramrod straight, her feet trying to find a purchase on the slick tile, but he ignored her completely. They rounded a corner just as Shoko exited the lady's restroom. She stared at the couple in horror.

"Sho, what are you doing?" she demanded.

"We're taking her home," he answered shortly. Kyoko stumbled.

"You're what?" she gasped at the same time Shoko exclaimed, "We're what?"

There was a moment of confused silence as the two women looked at each other, then both turned on Sho.

"You can't just drag people around," Shoko pleaded with her charge, hoping he had not angered Kyoko too much. There was no telling what the young actress would do when provoked.

"I am not going anywhere with you, Shotaro! I would rather die than be indebted to you!"

"Sho, let her go please, someone might see you."

"You idiot, give me my hand back! I'm walking!"

"Look, she really doesn't want this. Sho, please don't make my job harder."

"You stupid, arrogant, high handed-"

This continued for a few moments, Sho letting the pleas and curses roll over him while he waited for them to abate. When it seemed that no one was going to stop he held up his hand and both women broke off.

"Shoko, we're taking her home. Kyoko, you're coming with us."

"I don't answer to you, Shotaro, and-"

"Don't call me that," he grumbled, cutting her short. "And you are coming with us. Shoko is driving and she doesn't mind." He gave his manager a cursory glance and she nodded halfheartedly. "It's late at night and _you_ just said a 'budding star' has to take care of herself. What's safer, driving with me or walking all the way to wherever you live?"

Kyoko was seriously tempted to tell him that it was safer to walk. She even had Vain Day as proof of this. But with his manager in the car…

"Fine," she snapped, bitterly angry at how this was turning out. "But never again!"

Sho had nodded, but it was more out of habit than really promising. He was a self centered prig and he knew to a certain extent that he was childish and needy. But he also cared about Kyoko and her safety, and if he ever ran into her again late at night and walking home, he would make sure she got back safely, even if it was against her will.

When they had piled into Shoko's car and Kyoko had given the manager some basic directions towards her house, there were a few tense minutes of absolute silence, Kyoko refusing to start any conversation, even for the sake of being polite. But Sho was bored and he had not seen Kyoko in a while. So he started talking about himself.

"Have you heard about my concert?" he asked nonchalantly.

"No," Kyoko quipped back.

"Then you want to hear about it," he said.

"No," she retorted. Sho ignored this.

"It's next month. Well, in three weeks, on Saturday. My fans are excited because it's going to promote my next album, so it will have several of my new songs." He paused to let her react to this. She glared at him and clapped her hands perfunctorily, the deadpan look in her eyes disconcerting. Sho decided to continue. "They're especially excited because my new album is my romance collection, and that is going to be the theme of my concert," he declared proudly. Shoko rolled her eyes in the front seat, wondering why on earth he thought Kyoko would be happy about that.

She was not happy about it, but she had actually already known it. While the president of LME did not generally broadcast and advertise for other agencies, he was aware of Fuwa's talents as a musician and was happily encouraging his staff to attend the concert. A love filled evening was exactly what his people needed to help them rejuvenate in the middle of this long summer. He was even giving special permission to take paid time off work to those who went to the concert, which made Kyoko more upset than just about anything else.

"Hooray for them," she cheered in a wooden voice, scooting further back into the seat and staring out the window, trying her best to ignore him. But Sho would not be ignored.

"What are you doing that weekend?" he asked, causing her to turn back again slowly and menacingly.

"Why, Shotaro, do you want to know?" she hissed. He flinched at her use of his real name, but persisted.

"I want you to come."

"Sho, even if I had money to waste on ridiculously priced concert tickets, which I don't, I would not go to _your_ concert."

"I have two front row tickets and two backstage passes that I can give to whoever I want," he told her, pulling an envelope out of his jacket pocket. Kyoko stared at him in disbelief. "I don't care who you bring with you, whatever of your LoveMe bodyguards that you want, or someone else if you have to. Just come."

He held out the white envelope, his eyes pleading with her. She felt almost… guilty. It was not as overwhelming as Cain's pathetic puppy-dog eyes; nothing could be. But it did shake her.

"Sho, I don't want-"

"Please."

Kyoko took the offering without even realizing it until it was in her purse. Sho had said please. Sho never said please. Sho demanded.

Now she had to go.

Dang it.

"I don't have any work right now, but if something comes up, my job comes before this," she told him severely, trying to take back control of the situation.

"But you'll come as long as you're free?" he pressed.

"I just said that I would," she growled back.

"Promise," he told her, holding up his hand and proffering his pinky to her. In the front seat, Shoko had to choke back a gasp. Kyoko hesitated for a moment before hooking his pinky with her own and giving a perfunctory shake before snatching her hand back.

"I promise," she mumbled. Sho grunted, but accepted this stipulation. It was not like she was going to get any jobs in the next few weeks anyway. And Kyoko was the kind of girl to whom a pinky promise was still like a blood oath.

Kyoko had remained silent for the rest of the trip back, and Sho, in fit of unusual intelligence, did not start another conversation. She did not have them drop her off outside her home, but at a residence nearby. At the very least, she was not letting Sho know where she lived on top of everything else.

The next day, Kyoko arrived at work and immediately pinned Kanae in the LoveMe room, falling to her knees and weeping.

"Moko-saaaaaaaan! I'm an idiot!" she wailed, gripping her best friend's knees and sobbing into Kanae's skirt. "Save meeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Mo! Would you stop that? What is it now?" Kanae demanded, tugging at Kyoko until she had shoved the girl into a chair. Watery eyes met cold ones and Kyoko sniffed.

"I promised Sho I would go to his concert." Kanae froze.

"What?"

Kyoko began a long and garbled explanation of what had happened, interrupted with several wailings at her own stupidity and remorse and owing the stupidest boy on the face of the planet. When she got to the end of it, she begged Kanae to go with her. Her friend sighed.

"I can't, stupid. I've got work that night for my new drama, and there is no way on earth that I can cancel."

"M-Moko-san," Kyoko's lip trembled, more tears spilling down her face. Kanae winced.

"Look, you're the one who's always talking about how work comes first," she growled. "I have filming that night. Ask Chiori."

"Ask me what?" the third LoveMe member asked as she stepped into the room. She noticed Kyoko's tear streaked face and froze. This could not be good.

"I promised to go to Sho's concert," Kyoko sighed sadly, slumping in her seat. Chiori glanced at Kanae and in an instant gathered that she was being used for a devious purpose. She did not know why Fuwa Sho brought such intense reactions out of Kyoko, but she was not going to get into the middle of this.

"Well, I'm sure the President will be pleased," Chiori pointed out, hoping this helped. Kyoko only sniffed and a few more tears leaked down her cheeks.

"I can't go alone. Can't you go with me?"

"I've got work," Chiori stated flatly, and Kyoko's eyes welled up again. "No, don't make that face at me. Kotonami-san is your best friend and it's her job to take care of you in situations like this. You cry at her, not me. I'm just the kohai."

Kyoko instantly protested this and was distracted into an argument which ended with Chiori capitulating for the sake of not letting the conversation drift back to its origins. After some clever speaking, both friends managed to escape without making any commitments and without Kyoko crying.

Which meant Kyoko still had no one to go with her to the concert. She had dithered. She had begged a bit more. She had considered breaking her promise. She had argued with herself and with a few of her Ren dolls over what was the appropriate course. But even her artificial senpais were resolute. She had given her word, her promise. She had a duty to see this through.

So after much deliberation, Kyoko decided that there was only one course of action. It was foolhardy, but she had to ask Tsuruga Ren if he would place his dignity and better judgment on the line and save her from having to face this trial alone.

And it had ended, not to her surprise but much to her chagrin, in a nightmare.

Ren reclined against a wall, waiting somewhat impatiently outside of Takarada Lory's office. This was an unscheduled appointment, and even LME's greatest could not expect to have the doors simply thrown open in welcome, especially given that this was not an emergency. Ren kept his irritation under the surface, allowing it to simmer beyond sight of the people around. He was fairly sure that his manager could sense the bubbling heat of his concealed temper, but Yashiro would be the only one, and Ren hoped a little that the conniving man was squirming internally. In spite of Ren's many protests, Yashiro had continued to step up surprise meetings for Ren and Kyoko. Ren had tried to explain, with little success, that he found this officious behavior particularly unhelpful of late, but because he had hidden his confession and rejection from Yashiro, his manager had not complied.

Not that Ren would have expected Yashiro to stop anyway. He had a feeling that until they were a couple, Yashiro would continue to throw them together until Kyoko was forced to accept Ren as a part of her life. Whatever his determination, only an hour before he had casually led Ren into the depths of the LME building and nonchalantly thrown his charge into the LoveMe room.

"Ah, Kyoko-chan, you're here!" Yashiro had exclaimed, as though he had not known from the beginning that she would be there. Kyoko had responded with a weak smile and a polite, "Good afternoon," for both men. She seemed even more skittish than usual, which concerned Ren because he had been trying to avoid her so that she would not feel pressured to think about his previous confession.

Maybe he had been too optimistic about how well he understood her.

"Good afternoon, Mogami-san," he had replied as easily as he could. "I'm sorry we're intruding. It seems like you're busy."

There was a pile of work on her desk, but she ignored it and his statement, glancing up from under her lashes before her eyes darted back to the floor, then across the room, quickly back to his face, and then back to the floor again. Ren's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

Yashiro, making his own assumptions about Kyoko's seeming embarrassment, opened his mouth to make a surreptitious exit when Kyoko looked up suddenly and prevented him.

"Tsuruga-san, what are you doing this Saturday?" she stammered anxiously.

Both men froze. Yashiro glanced between the two of them, wondering where this development had come from, suddenly suspecting Ren's determination to avoid Kyoko had been some sort of plot to make her miss him. Clearly Ren had not expected such excellent results.

Ren had, of course, not been playing such a devious game, but his heart had soared for a single moment when he had allowed himself to believe that Kyoko was considering, maybe, a _date_ with him.

Then reality had reared up, and slammed such a foolish and pathetic dream into the stratosphere. Her words had not included "date," she was a proper Japanese girl and would have accepted his feelings and confirmed herself as his girlfriend before she would have gone on a date with him, and she was talking about this in front of Yashiro. This was not a proposal for a romantic expedition. Given how nervous she was, she needed help, probably with work. And between his earlier confession, his avoiding her, and her own diminutive pride, it was no wonder that she was nervous. Very carefully, making sure he was as sincere as possible, Ren smiled reassuringly.

"I have several jobs throughout the day, but my schedule can be rearranged without inconveniencing anyone." Actually, it would greatly inconvenience Yashiro, but Ren was more than willing to sacrifice his manager just then. "Did you need something? For work?"

Simple, clear, professional. She would relax, and he could step back into the dreaded position of senpai. He would not have her, but he would not have lost her. He could do this.

"Actually…" she had hesitated, giving Yashiro a nervous look, "it isn't about work."

Ren would have given anything to have had a pin in his hand at that moment. Yashiro did not seem to move, but if he was not swelling with pride and joy, it was more than Ren was willing to bet on. He had wished he could pop all that happiness and hope into oblivion, where it would have stopped encouraging him.

"If you need to talk to Ren, I'll go run our errands while you two chat. He can use a break and I'm sure you have plenty to say," the manager had stated, slipping out of the room before Kyoko could protest. She looked horrified, and Ren suspected she had been counting on Yashiro's presence to protect her in some way or another.

Then there was a moment of awkward silence before Ren took control.

"So, what can I do for you?" he had asked calmly, waiting until she was staring back at him before smiling gently again. Kyoko swallowed, trembling.

"The truth is…" Another swallow. "Actually I…" She had looked away, her head hanging. Ren remembered mercilessly quashing all the tiny seeds of hope that had tried to blossom in his chest at that moment. Kyoko was not a typical girl. This would not be the confession he wanted to hear. He was an adult, not a child. He had stopped wishing on falling stars and dandelions. He was logical, composed-

Kyoko had thrown herself onto the floor, a stream of unintelligible babble pouring from her lips, startling Ren for a moment before he scolded himself. He had gotten so used to a Kyoko that was comfortable talking to him, he had allowed himself to forget to block her from this pathetic show of agony.

"Mogami-san, please, I can't hear you," he had told her, trying to lift her from the floor. The babbling continued, Ren only catching so many words. "Car," "sorry," and "stupid cockroach," registered, but Ren had been too busy hauling her to her feet to think about what they could possibly have meant. A rush of tears had streamed down her face, but he had not bothered to wipe them away. Until she had calmed down, it would be a pointless gesture. "Mogami-san, I can't forgive you if you don't tell me what you did that was so wrong."

She stopped and hiccuped, tears still oozing, her lip trembling. She shook her head and stared down at the floor, shamefaced.

"I- I got a ride home with Sho a couple weeks ago." She had glanced up, clearly waiting for a vicious remonstration. Ren's jaw clenched, but he forced himself to stay calm. Kyoko, he was more than aware, had the tendency to get dragged into the most awkward and dangerous situations, just by breathing. Especially where Fuwa was involved.

"Did you have a job with him?" Ren had checked, hoping he had not missed something. Kyoko shook her head.

"I ran into him after filming one night. He… sort of dragged me off. With his manager," she added, pity for Shoko escaping into her tone. Ren did his best to not growl.

"What happened?" he had asked slowly. "You'd better tell me the whole thing."

So she had. She left out what job she had come from, and she did not mention what they had talked about in the car, or the tumult of her own feelings that had brought on her stupidity, but she told him the events. Ren knew enough of her temper towards Sho to believe that he had dragged such a reaction from her.

"It sounds like you couldn't have helped it," he sighed. "Well, you probably should have had control over your temper, but once things were out of control…"

He drifted off, letting her feel the weight of her actions. He was the adult she had come to because she was a child needing a scolding. He could give her a scolding. Gently of course. Because, above all else, Tsuruga Ren was gentle.

"I'm sorry," she grumbled, still not meeting his eyes. Ren shrugged.

"If you're sorry, then it's fine. I've told you before, I don't hold grudges." She looked up and Ren relaxed. Yes, he was still the adult here. "Though I don't really see why you had to tell me. It's not like we're dating."

Well, there went the adult. Ren bit his tongue to keep himself from saying anything else stupid. Kyoko had gone rigid, as if up until that moment she had not considered the fact that about two weeks ago, he had told her he loved her.

Actually, given that it was Kyoko, that was possible. Because he did not register as a man to her.

"Y-you're right," she had mumbled, taking a steadying breath. She smiled weakly. "But I had to explain to whole story, because I need your help," she admitted. Ren had nodded, trying to shift back into his scolding adult figure.

"Is it about Saturday?" he asked. She sighed.

"Can you go with me to Sho's concert?"

Ren blinked.

"_What?_" Kyoko flinched at his tone. The adult had disappeared again. He fought to even out his tone at least, but he could not stop his unruly mouth. "You need my help to get a ride to Fuwa Sho's concert?" The cool incredulity seemed to reach her addled brain, and she nodded.

"I don't want to go!" she wailed, reaching suddenly behind her and pulling out an envelope that was covered in homemade protective seals. "But he gave me tickets and made me promise!"

"He _made_ you promise?" Ren's tone was still dangerous. Kyoko had explained as best as she could what had happened, trying to get him to accept why she could not have said no.

"And if I get LoveMe work, I won't have to go at all. But I _need_ someone to go with me," she pleaded. "Moko-san and Amamiya-san both have work filming, and the only other people who know about Sho and I are you and Yashiro-san. I know you'll hate it, but please-"

"Mogami-san, if you can avoid it by doing LoveMe work, why don't you just go and hunt some down?" he demanded coldly. She stiffened then, defensive.

"I _did_ look for LoveMe work. But with the President offering time off, even people who don't like Sho's style of music are going, because they feel like it's an order to go. And Sho got Bridge Rock to open for him, and they're an LME band, so people are going to support them. I checked with Sawara-san, but no one is going to need me!"

Ren had felt a bit guilty, but he shook his head.

"You have other options," he told her resolutely. "If you need a bodyguard to take you to Sho's concert, you shouldn't be going at all."

"I don't need a bodyguard, I need a friend!" she had shouted back.

"Well then, how did I qualify?" Ren had snapped, his control completely gone. Kyoko shrank back, blinking. Ren shoved his temper down as hard as he could, trying to backtrack. "You've said it over and over: I'm your senpai. If you want a friend going with you, why would you want me to go? To scold you the whole time?"

Ren stopped speaking then, struggling to find his character again. Kuon had reared his ugly head, snapping at people and getting angry and everything. Ren wondered for the millionth time why it had to be Mogami Kyoko that could throw him completely out of character. And why he had to lose control at all the wrong moments. It had been Kuon's idea to confess to her.

Kyoko did not answer, and he saw her floundering.

"You… don't want to help me?" she had checked softly. Ren closed his eyes and begged for patience.

"You don't want me to help you," he had responded softly. "To go and see his concert, you don't want me to come." Kyoko had considered this silently, and Ren decided the conversation was over. He knew he needed to escape before he did something even more stupid. "Maybe you'll get lucky," he told her. "Maybe something will come up. Maybe someone else will save you."

He left then, before Kyoko had time to think of a reply.

But he had not really left the issue behind. Ren had grabbed Yashiro, who was slowly making his way back, and had told his manager that they needed to talk to Lory. Ren knew Kyoko would never have pressed her boss for help, but Ren was more than willing to make that sacrifice for her. Lory would tease him, and make things difficult, but Ren was willing to endure that to make sure that Kyoko did not have to deal with the idiot singer. He might have lost his temper with her, but he was still mature somewhere inside his head.

He hoped.

The doors to the President's office opened and the secretary at the desk across the hall sighed.

"You can go in now, Tsuruga-san. Please watch out for spiders." Yashiro stiffened next to his charge.

"Spiders?" he checked in a tight voice. The woman at the desk smiled.

"Spiders," she confirmed. "Big ones."

"Ah, Ren, were you hoping to have a private speech with Takarada-shachou?" he asked. Ren chuckled.

"Yashiro, you aren't afraid of spiders?" he asked, a gentlemanly smiled accompanying his sympathetic tone. Yashiro glared.

"Not normal spiders," he stated. "But spiders that involve the president? No thank you."

Ren said nothing, but he agreed with his manager. Lory was not a man to do things on a small scale. Walking into the office, Ren was depressed to discover the room had been turned into a miniature jungle, with Lory dressed for some sort of treasure hunting expedition. The desk and chair that Lory sat in were normal enough, and misplaced with the surroundings, but Ren suspected he had actually had some important business and was considering his guests comfort. The chair in front of the desk was also normal.

"Ah, Ren. What kind of trouble have you gotten yourself into this time?" his boss had asked as Ren took a seat.

"I'm not really here for me," he responded as he eyed his surroundings. There were a plethora of bugs crawling over various plants, and he heard several varieties of birds chirping. There were spiders. He spotted one, as large as his hand, scuttling long the ground near his foot. He repressed the urge to kick it away. "Don't they feel cramped, being kept in like this? The birds?"

"They aren't wild, so it doesn't bother them," Lory stated breezily. "At least, we can't know that they are unhappy because they don't exhibit the usual behavioral signs of despondency or irritation, and we can't talk to them. But what did you need? For Mogami-kun," he added with a smile.

"Why do you assume it is for Mogami-san?" he demanded before he could stop himself. The spider had started crawling up his leg. Ren was not, in general, afraid of spiders, but he hoped this one got tired of him very quickly. Lory merely raised a brow at Ren's question, not deeming it worthy of an actual answer. "Well, it is for her. I need you to assign her some sort of LoveMe task that will take up her time until after six or so on Saturday."

Lory stared at him for a moment, a speculative look on his face.

"And why, Tsuruga Ren, should I do that?" he asked, leaning back, pressing his finger tips together. Ren hesitated, then decided that the truth would be the best response to this suspicious reaction. He explained, with all the calm and maturity that was expected from him, Kyoko's situation and her need for a convenient exit. The spider made its way onto his knee and remained there, sitting and staring with its beady black eyes. Lory listened silently, a small smile playing on his face. When Ren had finished, he leaned forward, propping his elbows on his desk. "No."

"No?" Ren replied, astonished. "Just… no?" Lory smiled wider in affirmation.

"Just no, Ren. If you want my reasons you can have them. But I don't think that you will like them."

"They can't be any worse than your answer," Ren grumbled, trying to think of a justifiable reason to _not _flick the many legged hairy creature on his knee into his boss's face. Lory rolled his eyes.

"My very first reason for saying no is that I am not the shield you get to hide behind to protect Mogami-san from the other men that want her. No, don't ask how I know. You should know better than to assume I will let a girl who openly declared revenge on the most popular singer in the industry to work in my company without having some idea of their relationship. I have not pried into her feelings, or his, but I think the flow of events between then is enough for me to hazard a safe guess." He stopped, looking Ren in the eyes, serious. "Fuwa Sho is in love with Mogami-kun, isn't he? In spite of his actions."

"Yes," Ren admitted, the word bitter in his mouth.

"Well, that is my problem, as well as yours, because of all the media garbage that I will someday have to deal with when they finally address their problems. Which is another reason I won't prevent her from going. The fact that she promised because she saw him as a human being who was capable of being wrong and needing help suggests to me that she is healing. But she needs to have more opportunities to see him if things are going to ever reach some sort of closure."

"A concert isn't-"

"I believe you said she had back stage passes for after the show? And we are both aware of the fact that this concert is a showcase for all of his love songs. Musicians rely heavily on their own feelings to influence their music. I think it very likely that something, anything, could happen under those circumstances."

"Including her getting hurt," Ren pointed out as evenly as he could. He would have sworn creature on his knee hissed. Lory sighed.

"There will be enough people there that her physical safety is less of an issue than you want me to believe it. And I can always drop a few hints that will reach Fuwa's manager that I am aware of the situation and have… expectations for how Mogami-kun will be received. And returned."

There was a dangerous light in his eyes and Ren felt a small degree of comfort. Lory might take risks, but he cared for his people and he would not risk Kyoko's safety, no matter how interesting things might get if he let them unravel on their own.

"She might find someone else to go with her," Ren mumbled, more for himself than anything. His companion snorted.

"Ren, if you want to protect her, get off your lazy butt and do it! I know you haven't done anything to make her change her opinion of you-" He cut off as Ren looked away. "So you have done something. Well, I won't ask how it went since it's plain from the look on your face that it was a complete and total failure. But you can't expect things to change if you don't put more on the line."

Ren stiffened. He had put his entire heart on the line the night he had told her how he felt. And she had completely trodden on it.

"With all due respect, sir, you're wrong." Lory gave him a probing look.

"Ren, you're up against a boy who she grew up with and who broke her heart into a million pieces. I don't know how likely she is to go back to him, even if she does forgive him. But she knows him, Ren. Head to toe, inside and out. It's plain as anything that she knows all his faults, all his mistakes, all his dreams…" He paused to make sure Ren was paying attention. "All his secrets…"

"So?" he demanded, not wanting to tread into that dangerous territory. Discussing Kyoko was hard enough, he did not need to add his family troubles to the mix. The spider had moved off his knee and was scuttling towards him, settling onto his shirt. He glanced down and frowned at it.

"Ren, Kyoko's heart was broken because she couldn't trust the boy she loved. He was dishonest with her. Maybe right now isn't the time, but even if you decide that you will never take up your parents' name again, you can't expect her to accept you if she doesn't know you."

There was a pause as Ren digested this, considered it. It was frightening and overwhelming. The fact that it was the truth was even harder to deal with. He did not want to lose Kyoko, but in spite of the fact that she drew Kuon out of him, Ren was not sure he wanted her to know about his alter ego. That was a person, and a life, that frightened even him. How could he ask her to accept that? But then, how could he not?

"I should get back to work," he said quietly.

"Probably," Lory agreed mildly. Ren stood, shook his shirt until the spider fell down, and bowed to the president stiffly. He looked around him one more time, shuddering slightly, before turning to exit. "Ren." The actor turned back. "It's worth it."

Ren blinked, not sure exactly what Lory meant, but nodded anyway and made a speedy exit.

The actor was tormented by his thoughts for the rest of the day, but he managed to keep it from ruining the rest of his work. Tsuruga Ren was a consummate professional, and that was not an act, it was part of his being.

But in the background, his mind was churning. His relationship with Kyoko was teetering on some sort of precipice, and in spite of Lory's advice to wait a little while, the actions Ren had already taken meant he had to act quickly to make this work to his advantage. The idea that Kyoko would be obligated to attend Fuwa's concert alone was disgusting, and Ren knew that he was the only one who could intervene at this point. Besides (he smiled as he thought), if he showed up with Kyoko, it would give that Fuwa brat something to think about. As he considered it, the idea grew more and more pleasing. Yashiro watched his charge's behavior shift from moody to mischievous with some misgiving. The concern peaked when Ren asked casually at the end of their day, "Do you know where Mogami-san is right now?"

Yashiro blinked.

"S-still at the office," he stuttered, having memorized her schedule for the week in the vain hope that something like this would happen. When he had rejoined Ren in the hallway earlier, he had thought the man had fought with Kyoko. What on earth?

"Wonderful. How long will she be there?"

"I can't be sure. But it's early enough that she shouldn't have left, and she doesn't have any other work…"

"Then I can drop you off at home on the way, since it's not far from here."

"S-sure," Yashiro agreed, not entirely certain he should not insist on going with Ren. Something seemed off. It was not just that he seemed so keen, or satisfied. There was an entire change in Ren's demeanor. He seemed… younger. More like what Yashiro expected in a twenty-one year old boy. "Ren, what are you-"

"Can you do me a favor?" Ren asked suddenly.

"Of course, but Re-"

"I need you to clear my afternoon and evening on Saturday. I don't have any filming, just a few interviews. I need you to tell them that something came up, time sensitive."

"Ren, that's at least three hours of work you're putting off!" Yashiro expostulated. Ren frowned, considering this.

"Would you mind a heavier morning?" he asked. "I can sacrifice part of the afternoon if you need the room, but I need the whole evening, and probably a late morning on Sunday, though I know you already said it was going to be a light load that day."

"You want me to reschedule all your interviews for that morning?"

"Only if they can manage it," Ren stated. "I have an interview at three that can probably be moved to one without too much trouble, but the others might be difficult. And I'd hate to flout my name too much, but I will need the evening."

"You keep saying that," Yashiro grumbled, already sorting through his planner and trying to reorganize the schedule. "I can move a few things to Thursday and Friday if I have to, since you gave me enough warning, but what is all this about?"

"I'm going to have a date with Mogami-san," Ren said calmly. Yashiro dropped his pen.

"You- What?"

"A date. With Mogami-san. I'd thought you'd be glad."

"She asked you on a date?" Yashiro demanded, flabbergasted. Had all the frustration of today been Ren deciding if his schedule could be moved? Had Kyoko honestly asked, _asked_, Ren to go on a _date_?

"No, she did not ask me out on a date. She asked for some of my time on Saturday. I'm asking for a date."

Yashiro peered at him.

"Isn't that… cheating?"

"No," Ren replied. "Because I turned her down."

Yashiro was very confused, but they had reached his apartment, and Ren had stopped. He stumbled out of the car, remembering to reach down and grab his pen before he closed the door. He glanced at Ren one more time, and it was enough to tell that Yashiro would not be getting any more helpful information. That impish look was in Ren's eyes again, and there was no getting passed it. He stepped away from the car and fled upstairs, deciding it would be best to get things set up quickly. There was no telling what this new Tsuruga Ren would do if Yashiro failed to complete his task.

Ren arrived back at LME in good time and practically sauntered to the LoveMe room. Kuon was raging rampant in his brain, but Ren let him. He would need Kuon's reckless courage and his ability to hide his terror and anguish from even those who knew him best. Kyoko could not be allowed to see a hint of weakness in the man who was going to talk to her. He needed to be in control, and he hoped his experience as Tsuruga Ren would give Kuon the reassurance and confidence needed to pull this off.

His luck was in. When he opened the door, Kyoko was the only one in the room. She was dejectedly poking at some papers in front of her, sighing sadly every few moments. Part of Ren felt guilty, but another part was amused and touched. Really, she was such an open book, his Kyoko.

"An actress shouldn't wear a face like that," he told her, leaning his shoulder casually against the doorframe. Kyoko jumped up and back with a squeak, turning a frightened eye to the door.

"Tsu-Tsuruga-san!" she gasped, eying him fearfully. His lackadaisical posture, quirking grin, and hands shoved into his pockets were so out of character that she took a step back. "What are you- I mean- Umm."

She glanced around the room as if she were trying to figure out if she had slipped into a different reality.

"I came to ask you something," he told her, his tone enough like his usual self that Kyoko relaxed slightly.

"Y-yes," she stammered, smoothing her skirt down and staring at the floor like a miscreant child. Ren chuckled, causing her to raise her eyes in anger.

"Sorry," he said, without a hint of apology in his voice. She glared at him. "I was wondering if you were free this Saturday?"

This was so insensitive as to rend her speechless for a moment, her mouth agape. Her eyes blazed.

"I have an appointment," she hissed angrily. Ren shrugged, giving her a smile that was much more apologetic than his words had been.

"I was just thinking I should take you to Fuwa's concert." Kyoko's face was full of relief. "As a date." She froze.

"A… date," she gulped, her mind spinning. The man in front of her nodded.

"As a date. Not for work, not as a LoveMe assignment, not as an acting practice, not as a favor. A date."

"To Sho's concert?" she asked, baffled.

"It isn't my ideal choice for a first date, but it should be fairly romantic, and since he gave you tickets, you don't have to worry about me spending too much money on you."

"First date?" she blanched.

"If you hate it, I can always make it up to you on the next one."

"Next one?" was her breathless reply. Ren pressed on Kuon, warning him to ease up. Become too presumptuous and she would bolt.

"Only if you'd like," he said gently. Kyoko dithered for a minute before stepping forward and placing a hand on his forehead. He stood still, waiting patiently for her to assess that he did not have a fever.

"So, you'll go with me to the concert?" she checked again, pulling her hand back slowly.

"I'll go on a date with you, Mogami-san, to Fuwa's concert. But it's a date and aside from the tickets, I get to pay for everything, and take you to dinner beforehand."

He could see her hesitating, considering.

"But… I can't go on a date with a man who isn't my boyfriend," she told him, poking her fingers together sheepishly. He had the feeling she was searching for an excuse to say no, even though earlier she had asked for his help.

"Then while we're on the date, we're a couple," he told her, watching her eyes grow wide at his simple solution.

"B-but, Tsuruga-san would never, _never_, date a girl like me! Never!" Ren sighed.

"Haven't I already told you that isn't true?" he asked in frustration. She shifted.

"You didn't mean it," she protested quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"I did. I meant all of it, Mogami-san. Every word." Kyoko hesitated again, twisting her hands.

"Just for that night?" she confirmed. Ren nodded.

"The concert starts at seven. We'll have an early dinner and be in line by about six. It will be a long wait, especially since it will be at the Tokyo Dome, but I don't think we're that worried about getting there early and singing his praises with his other fans. From the time I pick you up until… eleven, we're dating." Kyoko shivered.

"If- if you think that we should," she said quietly. Ren reached out and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

"This is what I want," he said quietly, his thumb running idly across her jaw once. She shivered again and Ren fought to keep a satisfied smirk off his face. "Just this."

The second meaning of his words suddenly occurred to her and she stepped back. He let her go, his hand falling to his side. No need to scare her away when he had finally gotten his first victory.

"Then… when should we meet?" Kyoko asked, redirecting the conversation. Ren paused for a moment as a sudden thought popped into his head.

"We'll need to meet early and put together some sort of disguise." He smiled suddenly as another thought occurred to him. "I'll call you and let you know when I will pick you up. When does your work end?"

"By noon," she sighed sadly. He could see that it upset her to have so little work. Ren forced himself to keep his hand at his side instead of reaching out to grab hers reassuringly. She had been pressed far enough for now.

"Then we should be fine. Just keep your schedule free."

She agreed and he bid her goodnight, his eyes not leaving her until he had completely passed the doorway, her own eyes locked onto his.

When he had exited the building and slipped into his car, Ren pulled out hid phone and dialed Loy's personal number. The voice that greeted him was slightly testy.

"What trouble could you have possibly gotten yourself into in the past seven hours," it demanded furiously. Kuon reclined against his leather seat, grinning.

**"Hey Boss, I have a favor to ask you,"** he said breezily in English, grinning like a kid at the silence on the other end.

**"Where are you?"** Lory demanded, matching his language switch.

**"In my car. I dropped Yashiro off already. It's just me."**

**"You've developed an accent,"** came the accusatory reply. Kuon snorted. **"So, what did you need?"**

**"Is Miss Woods in the country, or is she still on vacation?"**

**"She's here. And bored. What do you need from her?"** Kuon explained it briefly, certain the silence on the other end was shifting from confused and curious to stiff and worried.

**"Do you think you can arrange that for me?"** he asked. There was some more silence before the boss sighed.

**"This is a bad idea, you scamp."**

**"It could be,"** he conceded. There was some grumbling from the other side of the line.

**"I'll call her right now. You're sure about this?"**

**"I can always change my mind,"** Kuon answered. **"There's still some time."**

There was a snort before the line went dead. Kuon closed his eyes and snapped his phone shut. He knew it was a risk, but it was time to start being risky. No that was not it. He had already taken risks.

It was time to put everything on the line.

* * *

_And end chapter one. I hope that you enjoyed it. I'll try and get chapter two up as soon as possible. Thanks to Will for editing as usual. You catch the worst of my stupidity before these people are subjected to it._


	2. Outside Warranty Coverage

_Sorry for the wait. Chapter two, for everyone that cares._

* * *

Ren stood outside his car, a little nervous as he waited in the parking garage for Kyoko to come downstairs. It was not just that tonight he was going on his first date with the girl he loved, or that they were going on said date to the concert of the man that they both hated. No, it was bigger even than that.

His musings were cut short when he heard hurried footsteps approaching. He could not stop the smile that spread out over his face. However nervous he might be, he could hardly match her fumbling trepidation. Kyoko was rummaging in her purse and grumbling under her breath at slow elevators and forgetting stupid things like wallets and phones. Ren relaxed. It was much easier to be calm when Kyoko was panicking.

"Good evening, Mogami-san," he called out, causing her to stop in her tracks. She dashed over and was preparing to throw herself on the ground when he caught her shoulders. "No dogeza tonight," he admonished. "You aren't even late."

"I'm sorry!" she blurted. "You've probably been waiting!"

"Only for a minute," he lied reassuringly. He had been there for half an hour, but she did not need to know that. "I had to take Yashiro home before I came here. He's grateful for the half day off, by the way."

These were just the right words. Kyoko sighed in relief at having done something right, then immediately shifted into scolding Ren for his heavy schedule. Ren opened the door for her and let her slide into her seat, smiling and nodding at her rant. This continued for most of their drive before Kyoko realized the road they were taking and cut off mid sentence, her eyes growing wide in fear.

"Tsu-Tsuruga-san."

"Yes?"

"This- this is the road to the President's house…"

"Yes."

"Are we- Does he- What are we doing?"

"Yes, we are going to see him. Yes, he does know about the date. Did you really think we could keep it from him? We're going to need disguises and the best person for the job is Miss Woods*. And don't worry about bothering her. I've been told that she is bored out of her mind and was happy to get a request for her talents. And this way, we can most easily avoid being recognized, because Miss Woods is a genius."

"Oh," was her only reply. Ren pulled up to the mansion only a few minutes later, gracefully bolting out of the car so that he could reach Kyoko's door before she had even unbuckled. He lent her his hand to help pull her out and was glad to see the slightest of pink tints on her cheeks.

"Let's head in," he told her, releasing her fingers as he shut her door and locked the car. She nodded and he caught the gesture in his peripheral before she took off for the door, leaving him behind. He tried not to let it bother him.

Inside the mansion, Jelly was sending Kyoko ahead to her "dressing room" on some paltry excuse. When the younger girl had disappeared, Jelly turned all of her attention to Ren.

"I know what your plans for you are, but what about her? Darling said you were in charge." Ren could see the excitement rolling off of her and realized something that he had wondered for some time. Apparently, Jelly Woods was as eager to see him and Kyoko get together as her darling was.

"We're going to Fuwa's concert, so something to match whatever the president got for me and something appropriate for the concert." He paused at the glint in her eyes. "_Not_ Setsu."

She drooped.

"Not at all?" she pouted. Ren shook his head.

"I'm going on a date with _Kyoko_. Be considerate." The pout became more exaggerated.

"It's going to be almost impossible to follow all of those instructions," she told him sulkily. Ren gave her his best smile, but Lory was the one who saved the day.

"But that's why I asked you to do this," he told her sweetly. "Because only you can do it. I'm completely relying on you…"

Jelly held firm for a second before smiling slyly and tossing her hair back.

"Well, if you can't rely on anyone else."

"Just you, Ten," he told her. She giggled and skipped down the hallway after her charge, leaving Lory and Ren behind.

"Do you ever feel like you're a cruel human being?" Ren asked, shaking his head. Lory shrugged.

"She loves her work. She loves the work that I give her. For her, for now, being needed is enough."

"And what are you going to do when it isn't?" the actor probed.

"That's my problem," Lory stated flatly. "Fix your own love life before you start meddling in mine. I'm a grown man that has been happily married and lived a good life. How I end it isn't your concern."

"I don't think you'll stop living anytime soon," Ren grumbled, incapable of imagining a world without Lory in it. The very idea was… preposterous.

"Oh, you never know. Haven't you ever considered the idea that I might take such an interest in your affairs because I know I won't be around to support you much longer?"

"If Maria heard you say that, you _would_ be a dead man. The last thing she needs is to be given the ridiculous notion that you're on your way out of this world."

"Oh, fine. Barring a freak accident, I have years. Happy?"

The two of them chatted and bantered for a short time before Jelly reappeared, dragging Kyoko along with her. Ren smiled at his date, studying her intently enough that she tried to step behind Jelly and hide. Lory chuckled.

"Good work, Ten," he told the older woman, nodding approvingly. "She looks perfect. Don't you think, Ren?"

"Perfect," he agreed softly, causing Kyoko to shift nervously.

"Not perfect," she objected, more out of habit than knowing how to prove her point. She was dressed in black jeans with a studded belt fitted snugly over her hips. She wore a hot red shirt with a black half blazer, a chain necklace interspersed with matching black and red glass beads hanging in three loose loops across her collarbone. Unless Ren was mistaken, she was wearing Setsu's boots tucked under her flared jeans. She carried a black purse over one shoulder. Red was apparently the color of the evening, since she also sported red earrings, black, silver, and red bangle bracelets on her left arm, and had red painted nails. Her wig was black, her hair fell halfway down her back, and was pulled half up. Her makeup was natural, with the only obvious addition being the wet shine of her slightly pink tinted lipgloss.

Ren wondered vaguely if it was flavored lipgloss. Kuon suggested finding out.

"Well, I think it's perfect," Jelly stated, pulling Ren back to the present. "And I need to get started on Ren-chan, since he's going to take such a long time."

Kyoko blinked.

"A… long time? Why?" Jelly smiled and grabbed Ren by the arm, dragging him away from the room.

"It's a surprise!" she sang as she hauled him away, waving. Lory took a seat on one of the couches and gestured to Kyoko that she should join him.

"They will be a while. Ren's decided that for his… safety," he said the word so ironically that Kyoko cocked her head in confusion, "he'll need a rather extreme disguise. So Jelly will be working with him on that. Would you like anything?" he asked suddenly, throwing her off balance.

"Oh, no. Thank you. I'm fine." He nodded.

"Let me know if you change your mind. How's your work going?"

While Kyoko humbly began to explain her lack of work to the president, Ren and Jelly were already set up somewhere in the back of the house. Ren relaxed in his seat, waiting for his magician to begin her work. He was surprised when she spoke, her voice concerned.

"You know, I love you with blonde hair, Ren-chan, but are you sure about this? Darling won't tell me the details, but he says you're trying to hide the fact that you are a foreigner for a reason. Are you really okay with this?" Her subject chuckled.

"Did he tell you to try to get me to stop?" Jelly smiled nervously.

"He might have hinted at it." Ren shook his head.

"Please get started. I really am sure about this." Jelly sighed, but did start moving, fingering Ren's hair for a moment before she began.

"It's really soft, in spite of all the dying. You really take good care of it."

"I follow all of your instructions," he told her with a smile. "You give excellent advice."

"Really?" she asked with a playful grin.

"Really."

"Don't risk it," she told him in a serious tone, her hands still working.

"I should have said you give great advice about hair. Miss Woods, I really want to do this."

"I keep telling you, call me Ten. And I know that you want to. But I'm with Darling on this, Ren-chan. You're keeping it secret for a reason, and acting rash isn't like you."

He was touched by her concern. Jelly Woods was one of the few people who had any idea how much Ren risked each day that he lived in the spotlight and how far he had fallen into love. Lory tended to press towards romantic advice and was hard to take seriously for it. But Jelly, while sympathetic, seemed to be much more logical.

"Thanks Ten-san," he replied, closing his eyes and ignoring the chemical smells coming from behind him. "But really, I am sure about this. I'm going to have to tell her sometime, and I'm ready now."

"But is she ready?" Jelly questioned, still working carefully. Ren paused, considering the question.

"I think so," he finally answered, slowly. "The truth is, I've already told her how I feel, and she basically rejected me." Jelly gasped and clucked in disapproval. "I know. It was rather traumatizing. But I keep thinking that there was something strange about what she said. She kept insisting that my feelings for her were Cain's feelings, but… it reminded me of what kids used to do when I lived in the States when they were being told something they didn't like. They'd throw their hands over their ears and say, 'Blah, blah, blah, I'm not liiiistening!'" Jelly giggled at his reenactment. Ren smiled at her reaction but grew serious again. "I felt like she wanted me to be lying, for whatever reason. Probably because as long as I was lying, she didn't have to address her feelings, and she could pretend she wasn't hurting mine. So I can't lie to her anymore. I love her more than anything. I can't let her believe I'm lying about that, not even a little."

"So you're going to tell her all your secrets?" his hairdresser pressed, still concerned.

"Well, I already know most of hers," he answered lightly. The hands working on his head stopped. "More than she knows, actually. I know her accepting my feelings is risking everything that she has. I need to be willing to do the same."

There was a pause before Jelly started working again.

"You're really ready for this?" It was almost a statement, but he answered.

"Yes."

"Well, then I had best make sure you look flawless, hadn't I?" Ren smiled in relief.

"Thanks, Ten-san."

When his hair was finally finished, Ren sent Jelly out while he quickly changed. He slipped out the door feeling like he had fallen backwards in time. The sense of still being an awkward teenager hung about him, and was not helped when Jelly stepped forward, tweaked his collar and patted his cheek as he imagined his mother would have.

He was dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans, which was pleasantly nostalgic. Tsuruga Ren was a man who only ever dressed in slacks of one variety or another (and occasionally leather, when he was playing a psychotic serial killer), and he had missed the stiff, casual nature of denim. He also wore a royal blue t-shirt and carried a black jacket over his right arm. He carried a pair of sunglasses as well, at Lory's insistence, but did not think he would need them very much. His accessories were his watch and a thin silver chain that hung snugly on his throat.

"You look great," Jelly told him, giggling in delight as she reached up and tousled his hair quickly.

"Ten-san!" he whined, running his hand through the blonde mess and hoping that it fell back into place like it used to. She giggled again and waved at him to follow her, dashing ahead to make sure she would be able to seek Kyoko's reaction when Ren first entered the room. Ren/Kuon took a calming breath and shook his head. Up until that moment, he had not really considered how he would act around Kyoko, but he was realizing that as much as he wanted to show her how much he was like Kuon, Tsuruga Ren was so much a part of his existence that he could not set those behaviors completely aside. He had grown up since he had left his home and his family. He took a few unsteady steps, trying to establish exactly how this new, mixed being would even walk. After stumbling extremely ungracefully and biting back a curse, he wondered if this would end up being a rather embarrassing evening. Jelly popped her head back into the hall, checking to see what was taking him so long.

"Ren-chan! Kyoko-chan is waiting for you!"

It was like magic. Without even thinking about it, his feet started moving and before he could over-think it, he let himself relax into the stride they had selected. He was going to Kyoko. This is how he would do it. Confidently, determinedly, happily, anxiously, excitedly. He was going to Kyoko.

Ren was not surprised to see that the only eyes on him when he entered the room were Kyoko's. Both Lory and Jelly watched for her reaction, having seen a fair haired and casual Ren before. He did not mind. He was watching her reaction as well.

Maybe it was petty and arrogant, but the sudden widening of her eyes, the slight opening of her lips as they formed a tiny "o," and the bright pink that spread across her cheeks made Ren very happy. It stroked his vanity and helped him to settle more comfortably into his own skin. He smiled and thought to himself that not only was he a better looking blonde than Fuwa, his was a better looking _natural_ blonde than the kid. He would be willing to bet that Kyoko had never looked at the singer in quite the way she was looking at him. As far as initial reactions went, he was pleased with this one.

But it was her second reaction that he had really been waiting for, and he was not disappointed. Her lips suddenly pursed, her head cocked to the side, and she took a nervous step back, scrutinizing him. Lory and Jelly turned to Ren for an explanation for this strange behavior, but he ignored them

"Well, what do you think, Kyoko-chan?" he asked lightly, his tone as close as he could make it to how Corn would have talked to her. She jumped slightly and rubbed her arm nervously.

"Tsu- R-Ren-san?" Well, he had not really expected her to drop all her honorifics. He smiled reassuringly.

"Of course."

She watched him skeptically, eying his casual languor with misgiving. He held out a hand to her and she stepped forward to take it, moving in sort of dreamlike fashion. When his fingers closed over hers she seemed to come to herself and turned a brighter shade of pink, glancing up at him through her lashes, studying him again. He waited patiently, just smiling as she assessed him. It was Lory's cough that broke the silence.

"You two will need to get going if you want to have dinner before you get in line." Kyoko spun around in embarrassment and stammered apologies for holding everything up. Ren placed an arm around her shoulder and squeezed reassuringly, earning a small squeak from his date.

"We'll head out then. Thank you both for your help."

"T-thank you," Kyoko stammered before Ren gently urged her forward. He was stopped by the President's call.

"Ren." The actor turned around and caught a flash of silver that was suddenly coming for his face. He looked down at the keys in his hand and smiled. "Because your car is fairly recognizable."

Ren nodded and pushed Kyoko forward again, shaking his head at her questioning look. When they stepped out the front door and Ren's car had been replaced with a sleek, red, sporty vehicle, she stopped in her tracks, back ramrod straight.

"I can't!" she wailed when Ren asked her what was wrong. "What if- what if I get a speck of dirt on it? Or scuff it? Or get a fingerprint on it?"

"A fingerprint where?" he asked, laughing. She glared at him.

"Anywhere!"

"Well, my fingerprints are going to be all over the steering wheel," he pointed out. She blinked and shook her head.

"It's different if it's you," she told him, explaining as if she were talking to a small child. "You're _different_. You're famous, and have money, and if _you_ scuff the car it isn't a big deal." Ren shook his head, grabbing her arm and dragging her down the steps.

"You're being silly," he sighed. "I'm a normal human being, just like you. And the president wouldn't have lent us the car if he was worried about you damaging it."

"But-" Kyoko protested as Ren unlocked the car and opened the door for her.

"Kyoko-chan, it's really alright. You don't have to worry about the car."

His sudden smile disarmed her and she froze, staring at him again. There was a long pause before she blurted, "Did you know Corn?"

"Very well," he answered, easing her into her seat and making sure she was all the way in before closing the door on her dumbfounded face. When he slid into the driver's spot Kyoko had recovered and was perched anxiously in her seat.

"Why didn't you tell me that you knew him when I told you about him?" she demanded.

"Put your seat belt on," Ren told her, fixing his own in place. As she obeyed, he answered. "I didn't think that you wanted me to be associated with him in any way. He was your precious memory."

"You laughed," she grumbled. "When I told you he was a fairy prince you laughed at me, even though you knew who he was."

"I apologize," he said, his attention now fixed on the road. Kyoko opened her mouth to say something else, but shut it again. She settled into her seat and into a frustrated silence, every so often glancing over at the man sitting next to her. As they drove, her face softened and became confused again. At a particularly long stop light, she gathered her courage and spoke.

"Tsu- Ren-san?"

"Hmm?"

"Are- are you Corn?"

There was a brief silence as the light turned green and he accelerated.

"Yes."

Another paused.

"C-Corn?" His lips twitched into a smile.

"Yes?"

"You aren't a fairy, are you?"

"No, Kyoko-chan. I'm very sorry." There was a little sniff and Ren glanced over to see her dash a tear away. His heart ached.

"Oh well. It was silly for me to keep believing that. No wonder you laughed."

"It wasn't silly, Kyoko-chan. That wasn't why I laughed."

"Really?" she asked skeptically. Ren frowned.

"Maybe just a little. Mostly, I was laughing at myself. For getting into a situation where you were confiding to me about myself from when I was a child."

"Oh."

"I'm sorry I've disappointed you. I know I don't make a very good prince or a good fairy." Kyoko looked over at him, watching the sun dance across his golden hair and giggled.

"Actually, you still look like one," she told him, smiling brightly. He looked over at her.

"Really? Like a fairy?"

"And a prince," came her timid reply. The blush that he so admired blossomed on her face again.

"Well, at least I could give you that much." She looked at him in confusion, but he did not say anything else, so she drifted back into silence. "Kyoko-chan."

"Yes?"

"There is one other thing that I need to tell you before we get to the restaurant."

"What is it, Corn?"

"That's just it." He gave her a guilty smile. "My name isn't Corn." She looked guilty for a moment before her eyes got wide.

"K-Kuon?" He nodded.

"Kuon Hizuri," he added, just to make sure she understood. He cast another glance at her and was rewarded with the sight of Kyoko's mouth working up and down in silent astonishment, her eyes huge pools of gold. "I needed to tell you because I made the reservation under that name."

"You _what_?" Kyoko gasped. "Co- Kuon, you can't do that!"

"Why not?" he asked, secretly very pleased that her anger had caused her to forget to add honorifics to his name.

"Because even if they don't recognize you as Ren, if you go someplace and say you're Hizuri-san…" she trailed off as her mind tried to form some sort of idea of what might happen. He watched her face go dead white. "You'd get discovered!" she wailed. Kuon chuckled.

"I'm not really worried about that. As Kuon, I didn't really act very much. At least, not successfully. And while my parents' names are very well known, because we lived in the States and I didn't become famous there, few people really associate me with my family. Besides, I picked a place that is fairly out of the way for dinner, and most people won't believe what is in front of them anyway."

"It's your fault if our date ends early," she told him, folding her arms and sinking into the seat in a sulk. Kuon just shook his head to hide the fact that he was glad she cared if their date was cut short. "Where are we going?" she added as an afterthought.

"You won't have heard of it," he told her. "I did some looking because I wanted a place where we could reserve a private room so that we could talk, but I didn't want anything that was too expensive. I didn't think you would like that." She did not reply to this, so he continued. "The place does traditional Japanese cuisine, so I think you'll like it. It was highly recommended by people in the area."

"Will you like it?" she asked.

"I'm sure it will be just fine," he replied casually. Kyoko huffed.

"You'd better eat everything you order," she told him with a severe look. Something occurred to her. "Your father is Otou-san."

"Yes, my father is Kuu Hizuri."

"He can eat anything. _Anything!_"

"And I can't," Kuon replied a bit shortly. She gave him a sympathetic look.

"Did your mother really force you to eat her cooking?" Kuon started.

"He told you about that?" Kyoko nodded and Kuon sighed. "Yes. All the time. My appetite was already small, but she always thought I wasn't eating enough and so she fed me everything she cooked."

"Was she bad? Oto- Hizuri-san said she had interesting tastes but…"

"You remember when I cooked for you?" Kyoko shuddered. "I get my cooking skills from her. And that's without her habit of adding random herbs and condiments to a dish."

"I'm sorry," she said in a slightly pained voice. "Ot- Hizuri-san didn't say it was that bad."

"You can call him Otou-san, Kyoko. He gave you that privilege." She jumped in her seat at his lack of honorific. "What's wrong? You called me Kuon, didn't you?"

Kyoko stammered a protest, swearing to address him properly, but Kuon would have none of it.

"Kuon-sama, I promise-"

"Kyoko, if nothing else, do not call me that. And why should we use honorifics? Aren't we dating?" She was about to protest this when she realized it was true.

"Then, I should call you K- K-, by your first name?"

"Yes, Kyoko. It should help us stay under the radar too. Since calling me Tsuruga-san or even Ren would draw attention."

This logical statement probably helped the most in reassuring her that it was alright for her to call him Kuon. In the next few minutes they had arrived at the restaurant, Kuon dashing again to get to Kyoko's door and help her out, and they were seated without too much trouble. The waitress had stared at Kuon a great deal when she seated them, but Kyoko had seen that glamor struck look before and was fairly certain the girl barely knew what she had said since Kuon had walked in. She certainly had not recognized him as Japan's Number One Bachelor. Once the couple had been served drinks and ordered their food, an awkward silence overcame them. Kuon suspected that it had finally dawned on Kyoko, with no other distractions now, that she was sitting in a room with a man who was almost a complete stranger.

"Kyoko." Her head shot up and she sat at attention.

"Y-yes, Kuon?"

"Tell me what you're thinking?" he pleaded. "Are you angry?"

"Angry?" she parroted, confused. "Why would I be angry?"

"Because I've been keeping secrets from you," he replied.

"Oh. But, I've been keeping secrets from you," she pointed out. Kuon frowned.

"You mean your mother?" Kyoko hesitated and he realized she had not been thinking about that. It suddenly frightened him. What other secrets was she keeping?

"Well, that was one of them. But I guess you already know all about her, don't you?"

"Only what you told Corn," he stated gently. Kyoko shifted, her eyes dimming as she got lost in some memory. Kuon was silent for a moment before he reached across the table and took one of her hands. She jerked in surprise, then pulled her hand down onto her lap. He let her do it, but it saddened him. "Kyoko…"

"I was just thinking that it was strange," she whispered. "I didn't realize when Otou-san was here that I was acting as you. And the things I said to you, and to Otou-san, were probably impertinent."

"They weren't," he refuted gently. She shook her head.

"No, it was wrong of me. I kept saying things to you and to him that the two of you had said to me, or that I had thought up, as if I knew them. I told him that you said I had captured Kuon perfectly."

"And probably made his whole trip," Kuon pointed out, smiling a little. He had little doubt Kyoko had made his father euphoric with that confidence. "You weren't making any assumptions with that either."

"But I did! Like when I told you that Kuon was absolutely attached to his father."

"You were right, though," he answered softly. "When you said that Kuon unequivocally loved his father and admired him more than anyone. That was true."

"Then why are you _here_? Why is Tsuruga Ren here?"

He could tell from her agonized look and from the tone of her question that this was the crux of the problem. He had actually expected it to be one of her first questions. If he had just been a runaway, she probably could have understood his reasons for hiding from his family as he became an actor. She had done the same thing, after all. But the child of two loving parents who were fundamental members of the acting community? Who would have given him the world on a silver platter? How could he have left that behind?

"Kyoko, do you remember how much trouble Ogata-san had when we first started filming _Dark Moon_? Especially when people mentioned his father?" She nodded. "I… had a similar problem. And I wasn't like the director, so humble. I let myself get arrogant and caused trouble on set. Over and over again." Kuon took a deep breath and shuddered briefly. "My father heard about it, of course. Especially since I kept getting fired. He tried to support me, but he was busy with his own work and had a hard time figuring out what was wrong. My mother too. I started wasting my time on things that were reckless and dangerous, wondering how far I would have to go before he would care enough to find time for me. It… ended badly. I left without saying goodbye. My mother was out of town for work when Boss came for me. She didn't even know I had left until she got back."

"Why did you leave so quickly?" It was a harmless question. She had every right to ask it.

"There... was an accident. I- My friend..."

He had to stop here. He should tell her about Rick. She deserved to know. He could not say he would place everything on the line and then keep something so serious back. He had to tell her at least the basics of what had happened. She did not have to know the details, but at least the basics. Not the color of the car as it flew by, not the image of Rick in the air, Rick on the ground. Not the screaming of Rick's girlfriend, not the tears pouring down her face, not "Murderer!" Not the blood, the blood that was all over Rick, all over the ground, all over Kuon, crawling up his legs, his waist, his neck, down his arms, over his face, cool and slick, the metallic stink heavy in his nose-

"-uon!" A voice reached him in the darkness and a pair of bright gold eyes were suddenly in front of his, a warm hand wrapped around his clenched fist on the table, another hand cupping his cheek. "Kuon, can you hear me?"

"I- I was going to tell you-"

"You don't have to tell me! It's okay."

"I have to." His voice was hoarse and choked. "I have to tell you-"

"Not tonight," she pleaded. "I can wait, I really can."

"I have to."

"Why?" she demanded. He could not decide if she was frightened or angry.

"I love you. You have to know. I love you, Kyoko. I have to tell you-"

"No," she cut him off. "You have to tell me, but not tonight," she said firmly. "No more stories. We still have dinner, and then the concert. Not tonight, Kuon. I can wait. I'll wait."

"But-"

"Not tonight, Kuon. It can wait." He tried to protest again, but he could not think of a good reason to ignore her orders. He reached up to hold the hand on his cheek and breathed deeply, trying to regain his senses. She was right, not at dinner. Not tonight. It would have to wait. As his brain unclouded he found himself struggling to hide behind a mask of indifference. He did not want to cut her off, but having to be dragged out of a dark stupor, for the second time, and having her see him as a weakling was humiliating. He was grateful she stood by him rather than running away, but he wished he could be a source of strength for her as well. How could she rely on a man who could not even face his own past?

"I'm sorry," he apologized, easing her hand down and unclenching his fist. "I didn't mean to upset you. Again."

"Are you alright?" she checked, ignoring his apology and placing her palm on his forehead, checking his temperature for the second time that week. As she pulled away, she absentmindedly ran her fingers through his bangs and then reached out to do it again. It was not until her fingers were halfway through the second stroke that she realized what she was doing and stopped, coloring. Kuon smiled.

"I'm fine," he answered, capturing the hand that was still in his hair and guiding it to the back of his head. "Do you like the color?" he asked casually, relaxing as she instinctively curled her fingers into the strands near his neck and stroked them timidly. She opened her mouth, probably to tell him off, when there was a brief knock at the door and it swung open to admit their server. Kyoko jumped back and Kuon grabbed her waist to prevent her from tripping. Their server gave them a sly smile and placed the food on the table without comment before retreating.

"That… was horrible," Kyoko gasped quietly, sliding out of Kuon's grip and collapsing into her own chair. "Oh, what is she _thinking_?"

"That we're a couple," Kuon stated, picking up his chopsticks. "Nothing terrible, I'm sure."

"We were _touching_!" she wailed, poking at her food. "I, _I_, was touching your hair! Presumptuous, indecent, careless, arrogant, vulgar-"

"Kyoko, my hair isn't that bad, is it?" Kuon interrupted, throwing her off track.

"Not your hair," she corrected painfully. "Me! My behavior! My actions! How can I represent pure Japanese women with such inappropriate actions?"

"I think they'll forgive you if you show them that kind of fervor," he commented dryly between bites. "Are you going to eat, or am I going to get to scold you tonight?"

She grumbled at the jibe, but quieted down and began eating. Conversation was sparse at first, and ended up being focused on work, but Kuon was simply grateful that the confusion had relaxed his date. A few times as they were talking an English phrase escaped his mouth, but Kyoko took this in stride, asking him questions when it was too colloquial for her to understand and laughing as she realized he had developed an accent. She volunteered to speak in English for the rest of dinner to help him regain his old skills, but he refused, pointing out that he would get by just fine if he ever had to return to America.

"I'm understandable. I just round my L's a little."

"Poor Kuon," she crooned, taking another bite and fighting back a giggle. "Otou-san will be so disappointed!"

"Heartbroken!" Kuon expostulated, waving his arm grandly and shaking his head sadly. "Though he will be happy that I've finally had to learn how to read kanji. He tried for years to make me, but I always thought I wouldn't ever live here, so I had to take several crash courses the first few months after I moved here."

Kyoko winced in sympathy. She would have been learning kanji since elementary school and could easily imagine how hard it would have been for Kuon.

"No wonder you have so many online dictionaries bookmarked," she sighed earning a sharp look from Kuon.

"When did I tell you that?"

"Y-you must have mentioned it sometime," she stuttered, causing Kuon's eyes to narrow.

"Kyoko-" A beeping sound from Kuon's phone made him grimace. He pulled the device out and silenced it. "That was a reminder that we need to go soon. We'll have to walk a bit, since I don't want to park near Tokyo Dome, in the complex, and we have to leave soon if we want to make it over there in time."

"Oh," Kyoko said, sounding more relieved than upset. "Well, I'm finished."

Definitely trying to hide something. Well, if that was what she wanted, he would let it go for now. They did need to get going, and he did not want to ruin the evening anymore than he already had.

"Then we had best head out."

After paying and slipping into the car, Kyoko seemed to get nervous again, so Kuon purposefully started the conversation in the direction of the concert.

"I know I said earlier that we didn't need to use English, but if you don't mind, it might be a good idea."

"It would add to the disguise?" she asked, catching on.

"Yes. We don't have to use it when it's just us, and if we have to talk to other people, naturally we'll use Japanese. But as far as discussing the horror of having been invited by the star of the show and the fact that we don't want to be there-"

"We're better off not letting everyone else know."

"Absolutely."

There was a brief silence.

"The whole thing shouldn't be longer than two hours, I would imagine, even with Bridge Rock playing," he said after Kyoko asked how late it would be when they left.

"That's good. I'm actually kind of excited to see them perform. I keep forgetting that they are musicians." Kuon looked down at her.

"You know them?"

"J-just a bit," she hedged, looking away. "From- from some LoveMe work."

"Oh."

The silence swelled, creating an almost solid barrier between them. Kuon wondered sadly how twice in ten minutes he could have driven Kyoko into a corner. First the dictionaries, and now this Bridge Rock group. What could she possibly have been working with them on, anyway? They had not been producing music, if she did not think of them as musicians. Kuon had vague memories of them being at Kyoko and Maria's Christmas party, which he realized now should have made him suspicious. He had some vague idea that they hosted some sort of variety show, but he could not for the life of him-

The car jerked as the image of a giant chicken assaulted him. Variety show, cell phone dictionary, Bridge Rock, chicken. Kuon let out a laugh, startling Kyoko even more than the sudden lurch had.

"Kuon?"

"No, sorry. That was just- Ha! You're the chicken. Haha!"

Kyoko tensed, then pouted.

"It isn't that funny," she muttered.

"Kyoko, you- Oh never mind." He chuckled again. The whole time, all of his confidences had belonged to her. He had always been telling her the truth, even if she could not see it. "I'm sorry, it's just-" He choked. "'Seduce her.' Ha!" She went white, shrinking against the door as he continued to laugh in short bursts. When he calmed down enough to notice her position, he reached out and took her hand. "Relax, Kyoko. I'm not upset. I just thought it was funny that you were to person who made me realize I was in love with you, and you had no idea I was talking about you."

"Oh," she whispered, her eyes flicking up to meet his, then down to watch their hands. She wiggled her fingers a bit, but did not pull away. Instead, she twisted the appendage until she could clasp his hand as well, running her thumb along his. She was silent, and Kuon, who had stopped laughing, let her be. She seemed to be considering something very seriously, and he felt it would be best to not interrupt her.

Finding parking around Tokyo Dome was not an adventure that Kyoko would have expected to end well, but apparently Kuon had done his homework again. The Dome was surrounded on a very large city "block" by a hotel as well as several other amusements. Public transportation was the best way to get to it if you were going to a large event like this one, but regardless of their disguises, there were so many people present that taking the train was a frightening thought. Losing Kyoko in this mass of humanity would have been a nightmare. After sitting in some rather congested traffic for fifteen minutes, Kuon finally found the spot he had been looking for and pulled in. They had parked about a ten minute walk away from the Dome block, but there were not very many people back here and it would easy enough to find when the concert was over.

Though he was reluctant to release her hand, Kuon let Kyoko go and slipped around the car to open the door for her. To his delight, she had waited for him, and smiled when he helped her out, murmuring a quiet, "Thank you."

She seemed to be trying to fit her role as his girlfriend, because once they had stepped away from the car and were headed to the street, she linked her arm through his, trying her best to match his pace. Kuon slowed a little, remembering from all their experience as the Heel siblings how much he could push her before she would struggle to keep up with him.

"Are you ready?" he asked as they approached a main road and prepared to join the throng of people moving forward. Her grip on his arm tightened and he pulled his elbow in so that she would be closer to him.

"Yes," she answered, giving him a nervous smile. He stopped for a moment and gave her a serious look.

"Do you have your cellphone with you?"

"Yes."

"Good. If anything happens and we're separated, get out of the crowd and call me. I'll keep a good hold on you, but just in case…"

She looked more nervous now, so he shifted his arm to settle around her waist, making sure she was pressed snugly against him. It seemed as though the action comforted rather than frightened her, and they stepped into the moving mass.

A rather long walk and several jostling bruises later, they had managed to find the end of the line. In front of them was a large group of preteen girls in punk leather outfits, giggling. Behind them, two girls who looked to be about fifteen were arguing. Kyoko was distracted by a commotion ahead, but Kuon had started listening to the young women behind him with interest.

"It's all your fault for spending so much of your allowance," one of them groused. She was taller than her companion with boyishly cut hair styled in short spikes.

"Please. Even if I hadn't bought that poster, and the CD, and the t-shirt, we still wouldn't have been able to even get out of the bleachers. Do you know how much ground level tickets cost?" This one wore her hair long streaked with blonde highlights, pulled into a high ponytail.

"Ungh, yes. And the prices rise exponentially the closer you get to the stage. Why!"

"Aren't we dedicated fans? I want to see Sho!"

"But no. All we can afford is the back row!"

"Very back row…"

"Kyoko," Kuon leaned down and whispered in her ear. She started, but turned around to respond and found herself a hair's breadth away from his face.

"Y-yes." He pulled back slightly.

"**How attached are you to our front row seats?**" She grimaced.

"**I don't even want to be here. I only came because I promised Sho. If I could hide in a closet until it was over, I would,**" she whined. "**Why?**"

"**Hand the tickets to me. I have a brilliant idea. Keep the backstage passes.**"

She fished in her purse for a moment before she found her envelope. After carefully extracting the two tickets and holding them like poisonous insects, she passed them to Kuon. He turned around.

"Excuse me," he interrupted the two young ladies behind them with a smile. Ponytail girl staggered, grabbing the other for support. "I'm sorry, you'll think I'm terribly rude, but I have to admit, I was listening to your conversation."

"Oh. That's fine," the sturdier girl gasped.

"I was hoping you can help me?" he continued. There was a weak nod in response from the short haired female. "I mentioned to a coworker that I wanted to take my girlfriend to this. He had some tickets that he couldn't toss and his date got sick this morning. Stomach flu." A mumbled sympathy was heard. "The thing is, I can't be on the ground level. My girlfriend hates the crowds, and I get in everyone's way." He straightened to his full height, smiling sadly. The stumbling girl sighed in delight.

"So y-you wanted to…?" her friend prompted.

"Trade tickets. I know it isn't fair for me, since mine should have cost so much more, but I got them super cheap off my friend and I don't mind. Good seats should be appreciated."

"If you're s-sure…"

"Absolutely."

"O-of course," she replied breathlessly. "Yumi-chan, our tickets…"

The other girl finally detached herself long enough to retrieve the papers, throwing her hair back as it slid over her shoulder. She extended her hand to Kuon and a quick trade was made, the girl letting out a quick squeal when Kuon's hand brushed hers. Her friend checked them briefly and choked as she realized exactly how close they would be to the stage. She mumbled some incoherent thanks and Kuon brushed them aside with gentlemanly kindness. Then he thanked the girls and turned back to Kyoko.

"**Back row seats,**" he told her triumphantly. She was grinning, but glanced behind him.

"**I think that girl is going to hyperventilate**_**,**_" she said to him, giving the two girls a pitying look. "**You shouldn't do that when they're so young. They aren't even used to normal guys yet.**"

"**I shouldn't ask for a favor from a stranger?**" he inquired innocently. She snorted, then looked at the girls again and sighed.

"**Well, it was nice of you. And I guess they are kind of cute.**"

Kuon, who had not really processed what they looked like and did not see what that had to do with anything, glanced back then shook his head.

"**Just because they would fall into Fuwa's interests doesn't make them cute, Kyoko.**" He slipped his arm through hers and drew her close. "**You're much cuter.**"

She shook her head, but relaxed against his side, burying her face in his sleeve.

"**Thank you for coming with me**_**,**_" he heard from his shoulder. "**It's much less scary with you here.**"

"**My pleasure,**" he responded softly, leaning down to whisper in her ear. Behind them, the girls sighed. Their hushed conversation carried just enough the couple could hear them.

"Aren't they cute?" long haired Yumi murmured.

"Cute? They're gorgeous. She's dating him? I so want to grow up and be her."

"How old do you think they are?"

"I dunno. He can't be younger than twenty-four. I'd bet anything she's at least twenty, probably twenty-one."

"Yeah, but you suck at guessing people's ages. Why do I even ask you?"

"Oh come on, maybe a year off of both of them then."

"They're so lovey-dovey, even though he's so… mature! I want a man like him." Her friend giggled.

"Doesn't every girl? I'd even take him over Sho!"

"It was so worth coming."

"If only he'd been single!"

"Yeah. But don't they look good together?"

"I'm so jealous. They match perfectly."

The line started moving again then and the conversation was dropped, but Kuon looked down and noticed that Kyoko was cherry red again. He wished that she was not constantly made uncomfortable when he was around, but he was glad that she had heard the praise from behind them. She needed to hear that from more people.

After several more stops, they finally made it inside the Dome and were directed to their seats. They were in the very, very back, tucked away in a corner. Which had its advantages, because there was no one sitting next to Kyoko, so Kuon did not have to worry about having random guys hitting on her during the concert. Once they had found their spots, they settled into their chairs and Kuon took Kyoko's hand again as they waited for everything to start.

"**Ready?**" he checked, one last time.

"**No,**" she moaned, looking over at him worriedly. He let go of her hand and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close so she could lean her head on his shoulder.

"**It'll be alright,**" he told her, rubbing her arm and placing a quick kiss on the top of her head. She snuggled even closer and hid her face in the crook of his neck. Yes, he was very much enjoying this date.

"**You'll take care of me?**" she asked, her breath tickling the skin under his ear.

"**Always.**"

A roar erupted from the crowd in front of them and Kyoko straightened. It was time to begin.

* * *

* For anyone that cares, I checked the manga raws, and Ren calls Jelly "Miss Woods," all in katakana.

_And in spite of all my carefully laid plans, there will have to be a third chapter. Cross your fingers and hope it won't reach four. I give special thanks to Will for her comments and corrections, and for working so hard for no pay. I also give tribute tonight to the Internet. The vast store of random knowledge saved me as I explored a realm that I was not familiar with and I came off triumphant from my searches for knowledge. If only my job hunt were going so well. Anyone have recommendations on that front?_

_Thanks to all my reviewers. You make all of this worth the effort. I (vainly) hope I never disappoint you.  
_


	3. LifeTime Guarantee

_And after an unfairly long wait, the last chapter... Please enjoy._

* * *

The noise around them was mind numbing. Shrieks, clapping, whistles, and a low thundering that was probably the sound of people jumping up and down pulsated through the audience. There were several waves of motion as people who had previously been sitting, waiting patiently, were now caught up in the excitement and stood, waving their arms and screaming. Lights, which had previously helped people find their seats, dimmed, then blacked out. The only light now could be seen coming from the stage, where tiny dots of white marked the edge of the dais and the long platform that protruded from it into the crowd halfway to the bleachers. There was a gradual hushing and Kuon heard Kyoko sigh in relief.

"**Too much noise?**" he asked, leaning close to her. He felt, more than saw, her shift and heard her voice directly in his ear. Her breath tickled.

"**I really don't like concerts,**" she admitted.

"**Have you been to very many?**"

"**No. I went to a few small performances when Sho joined a local band. But even that was too loud for me.**"

"**Feel free to cover your ears,**" he responded, a little annoyed by the dance of turning heads. "**And let me know if you need to borrow my hands.**"

He thought he saw her smile in the darkness, but another roar was building at the ground level, which Kuon guessed meant that Bridge Rock had taken the stage. Sure enough, by the time the swell of sound had reached the top of the bleachers, the lights on the stage had flashed on, and three young men waved cheerfully to the assembled crowd, their faces looming on two large screens on either side of the stage.

Then the music began.

In spite of the noise, and his lack of experience, Kuon was able to see why Fuwa had chosen this particular band to precede him. They were good, but they were not great. They mostly appealed to the younger girls in the audience, but since Fuwa had so many adolescent fans, Kuon imagined Bridge Rock had been a good draw. Their style was more fun loving than cool, and seemed much more mediocre than extreme. The leader of the group, a short brown haired boy that Kyoko gleefully leaned over and explained was Ishibashi Hikaru, was happily singing and engaging the audience. He looked safe enough and for a moment, Kuon relaxed, allowing himself to be grateful that Kyoko was working for such easygoing and inoffensive people.

But it only took Kuon a couple of lines into the chorus of the second song to hate the kid. A few references to golden eyes and a sweet smile, and Ishibashi Hikaru had Kuon frowning, with a growl threatening in his chest. Bridge Rock's theme, in line with the concert, was romance, if of a more innocent and young love variety. But if that boy was not referring to Kyoko as he sang so passionately, it was more than Kuon was ready to believe.

It was not reassuring to see his date so excited and happy next to him. She laughed at the occasional antics on the stage, and smiled in a knowing way at the distant figures. By the time the boys had finally wrapped up, Kuon was more than a little sick of them. When Kyoko collapsed into the seat next to him after cheering loudly during their exit, Kuon decided it was time to make some inquiries.

"**Did you enjoy them?**" he asked as she settled back down into her seat. She looked over at him sheepishly.

"**I know they aren't **_**very**_** good, but it was nice to see them performing. Hikaru-san doesn't mention it as much, but Shinichi-san and Yuusei-san both wish they had made it as musicians like they had planned, rather than as talents. I know they were glad to be given this opportunity.**"

"**So you're close to them?**" he probed.

"**A little,**" she admitted a bit uneasily. "**The group takes very good care of me since I'm still so new to the business and since my first job was with them. I'd say they're like friends, almost brothers. Especially Hikaru-san. I think he's the leader because he is used to taking care of people. He always convinces the guys to ask me to join them for dinner or lunch after filming, though most of the time I have to refuse. He's very thoughtful.**"

This artless and casual description of her relationship with the trio eased Kuon's fears slightly. For perhaps the first time, he was extremely glad that Kyoko was oblivious to her charm and appeal. He doubted she would believe Ishibashi Hikaru if he declared his feelings any more than she had believed Ren. Unlike Fuwa, however, a nice guy with a medium amount of popularity and a friendly demeanor was dangerous. If nothing else, the trip tonight had at least warned Kuon that he had a possible opponent waiting in the wings.

He was about to open his mouth to say something else when the stage lights dimmed again and a deafening boom sounded from the audience. If they had been politely happy to see Bridge Rock, they were ecstatic for the main event. The screams were louder, the movements jumpier, and the clapping a resounding chorus of praise. Kyoko did cover her ears now, and Kuon lent her his hands without being asked. If it would not have looked so pathetic, he might have covered his own. He could scarcely fathom what this sounded like on stage, where all the noise was coming straight at you as opposed to bouncing back. It was a heady feeling, even all the way back here. It suddenly dawned on Kuon why Fuwa would love this so much. Ren never really felt the praise for his work except in small, controlled groups. Just being part of the crowd was giving Kuon a rush. To be on the stage, the source of all this pure, unrestrained exhilaration, would be an almost godlike feeling.

No wonder the kid had a swelled head.

A single beam suddenly illuminated a lone figure on the stage and the noise, if possible, increased. As the opening notes began to play the volume swelled yet again, but the moment Sho opened his mouth, everything died down to a hushed murmur. His travel across the stage told Ren he was investigating the front rows, but to do him credit, whether or not he found Kyoko did not show in his voice or on his face.

He was good.

There was no denying it. Fuwa Sho had been born to sing. To perform. His musical gift was overwhelming, softening even Kuon's bitter feelings at being in this place. The tenderness of his first song was an unusual opening choice, since it seemed to be calming the crowd rather than exciting them, but his actions on the stage added to his act, and when the last note reverberated through the stadium, the crowd erupted again into screaming applause.

"And how is everyone tonight?" he asked, throwing a fist into the air then pointing to a section of the front row with a casual grin. Another bout of screams meet this rally and he waited for it to die down. Then he stepped back, tossed his microphone from his right hand to his left, and the next song began.

From tenderness to casual seduction, then another brief interlude where he welcomed the crowd, and another then another song, playful and teasing. His capacity to sing across feelings and in different modes forced Kuon to grudgingly admit that he was a worthy opponent as far as entertainment was concerned. His image might be the focus of a younger crowd now, but he showed hints of being able to flex into a new image if time demanded it. It was an ostentatious but effective display of power.

Inviting Kyoko here had been a stroke of genius. Evil, manipulative genius, but genius none the less.

Fortunately for Kuon, his date disagreed.

"Can I borrow your hands?" she leaned over and half shouted into his ear at one point. He nodded and moved to cover her ears, but she stopped him and placed them over her eyes instead. Then her own fingers went into her ears and she relaxed back into the seat. Kuon shifted, moving one of his arms behind her so that he could sit more comfortably while still protecting her from the visual onslaught from the screens in front of them.

It was a memorable event, filled with flashing lights, giant sparklers, and three different outfit changes (Kuon did not want to contemplate how quickly Fuwa had to move to get those done in time). By the time the final song was announced, half of the audience was in tears. By the end of the last song, a haunting ballad about two lovers who kept falling in and out of love, there were few people who did not have watery eyes. Kyoko had forsaken Kuon's protection three songs before, apologizing for exhausting his arms. Her own eyes were conspicuously dry and eyed the form on the stage with a cold distance. When the final notes had died away, she shook her head, then reached out and grabbed Kuon's hand, leaning to rest against his shoulder. He linked his fingers through hers and waited for the crowd to quiet down. After a few minutes and a few more flashing lights, Fuwa returned to the stage for an encore performance, but kept it to two finals songs. Kuon, who had heard of occasions where encores were longer than actual concerts, was glad things had finally wrapped up. After a final bout of cheering, the stadium lights came back on and people started to shuffle towards the exits.

"Stay here and wait it out, or join the crowd?" he asked, sending a perfunctory glare to a man in the row in front of them who had spotted Kyoko and was a little too interested.

"Stay," she sighed. "We need to head down to the front to get picked up to head backstage, and that means very awkward navigating."

"Very," Kuon agreed.

"At least you're tall," she smiled, looking up at him with her head still resting against his shoulder. Kuon wondered how a girl with so little experience in flirting could drive a man so crazy.

Maybe it was just him.

"We'd better get moving," he said after a little while. The crowds had thinned a bit and Kuon had realized they would have to go all the way down and out before they could get to the stage.

Holding tightly to Kyoko and smiling at anyone who stood in his way, Kuon managed to get both of them down in a timely fashion, and was even able to explain to no less than three security personnel why he and his date were headed back into the mass of chaos. They arrived at their original seats in time to give a quick salutation to the girls who had enjoyed the spots before their backstage passes were recognized by a member of the stage crew and they were swept away by yet more security.

After several minutes of bustle and being shoved around, the two were dropped off outside of Fuwa Sho's dressing room and left there with the instructions to wait for his manager, and not to try anything stupid because the door was locked. Their escort left, grumbling about special instructions and careless rock stars.

Kuon took up a post on the wall next to the door, putting himself out of the immediate sight of anyone who came out of the room, but at perfect distance to prevent them from approaching Kyoko if needed. She took up a spot against the opposite wall, standing straight and stiff, as if she were about to walk into an interview. Glancing up at Kuon, she relaxed a little, and even opened her purse to freshen up her makeup. As she put on a new coat of lipgloss, Kuon watched in detached fascination. He had never understood lipgloss. Lips made sense to him and lip balm was a practical item, but he had never quite figured out why women liked to put gummy color on their lips. Mostly, it was just messy, and as far as he was concerned, it tasted funny. Lipstick made just as little sense, for more or less the same reasons. He hoped she did not wear it too often. He would not be able to kiss her if he always had to worry about having pink tinted glittery smear on his mouth when he was finished. That would not fit with Tsuruga Ren's image.

Kyoko looked up and caught him staring. She gave him a curious look and he simply shrugged. There was no chance he was going to explain his last thoughts to her.

After a brief wait, Shoko appeared on the scene, stopping in her tracks as she noticed Kyoko and glancing nervously at the tall, handsome, blonde stranger that lounged so casually near the door.

"K-Kyoko-chan. I'm glad you could make it. Sho said he didn't see you in the crowd, but I thought you might be in disguise."

"It was a precaution," she answered kindly. Kuon studied Fuwa's manager out of the corner of his eye and understood Kyoko's consideration. This was a woman who was a professional and working for a boy who did not appreciate her best assets. Just her obvious ones. "But he wouldn't have seen us. We weren't on the front row."

At "we," Shoko had glanced anxiously in Kuon's direction again. Apparently, she had not reckoned on Kyoko being accompanied by a date. Kuon felt a touch of pity, but not much else. He was looking forward to the upcoming confrontation. He relaxed completely against the wall and focused on being still.

"I see," Shoko finally managed. "Well… Sho should be out in a moment, in any event. I think he's changing again."

"Probably fixing his hair too," Kyoko stated absently. "He's particular about his hair."

From the look on Shoko's face, Kyoko had pegged the situation. Kuon was not surprised, but he was a little irritated. When would she be able to make those kinds of declarations about him?

The door opened suddenly and Sho strutted out, missing Kuon, and posing dramatically in front of Kyoko.

"You made it," he stated, and Kuon thought he could detect a note of relief in his voice. Well, if he had been worrying that was one good, and very bad, thing.

"Yes. I didn't have work tonight."

"I didn't see you in the front row." He paused, studying her outfit. "Not even looking like that." The tone of his voice was the only indication that he found her appearance pleasing, but either she had not noticed, or had chosen to ignore it. Her response was bland.

"We were in the back. I didn't want to deal with the crowds up front."

"We?" Kuon shifted and stood, startling Sho and causing the musician to step back as he looked up… and up and up. "Oh."

"The name's Kuon," he said, extending a hand for Sho to shake. The singer, dazed, accepted it without a word, merely nodding. "Kyoko's told me about you."

The slightly taunting tone that Kuon adopted immediately had Sho on the defensive.

"Really?"

"Oh yes. I would say thank you for taking care of her for so many years, but…"

There was a cold light in his eyes, and he felt his own subtle anger shimmering off of him. Sho said nothing, only scrutinized him for a moment, and Kuon wondered if he would be discovered. He had spoken his Japanese with the lightest hint of an American accent to disguise his voice, but in close quarters, it was always possible to be caught.

"Kyoko, who is this foreign freak?" Sho demanded suddenly, ignoring Kuon and taking a step towards the girl. If he had expected her to get defensive, he was sadly disappointed. Kuon watched with pleasure as Kyoko turned bright pink, stammered something unintelligible, and shot him a pleading look. The sudden suspicious and horrified expression on Fuwa's face was worth the entire evening. He glanced between the two of them for a moment, eying Kuon critically and giving Kyoko a questioning look. She did not seem to be able to say anything else, so Kuon took things into his own hands, stepping forward and pulling Kyoko to him, wrapping his arms around her waist and settling his chin on the top of her head.

"I told you, my name is Kuon. I'm Kyoko's… boyfriend." His hesitation before he picked the word caused Sho's eyes to flash and he swore.

"You've got to be joking," he half shouted, causing Kyoko to shrink further into Kuon's embrace.

"It isn't a joke," she insisted weakly. "We're really dating."

"Since when?" Sho shot back, causing her to flinch. Kuon stepped in calmly, unfazed.

"Oh, quite recently," he answered. "We're hoping to keep it from the media as long as possible. Do you think you can keep it a secret?" His tone was almost patronizing, in sharp contrast with his gentle smile. Sho shook with anger.

"Dangit, Kyoko! You can't date some pretty-boy foreigner. Even you aren't that desperate!" Kyoko stiffened, and Kuon could feel that her anger had returned.

"Desperate?" she hissed. "Desperate for what, Shotaro?"

Kuon snorted, seeing Sho in a new light. He was not a genius when it came to kanji, or Japanese names, but he remembered "Shotaro" vaguely from choosing a stage name with the President. The answering glare he got was balm on a series of wounds that the singer had caused over the past two years, and he felt a vindictive pleasure at being present for this moment.

"Don't call me that," the musician grumbled before shooting another glare at Kuon. Kyoko was still wrapped up firmly in his arms and was making no move to get free. It was like Christmas had come early. "Desperate enough to pretend to be dating some random weirdo that you brought along as your bodyguard. Although, I thought you would at least have enough common decency to not let a guy molest you in public."

"_Molest_ me?" She was prevented from continuing by Kuon's hand clamping down firmly over her mouth.

"Kyoko, you don't need to respond to that. Just because he's jealous-"

"I am not jealous!" Sho spat back. "If you get some sort of sick pleasure out of treating her like that, that's your problem. Don't assume everyone's a pervert like you, you foreigner!"

Kuon sighed at the insults and kept Kyoko's attempts to refute them locked behind his fingers. He was glad that she seemed so ready to defend him, but letting her start a real fight would make things much too interesting.

"Just because you aren't man enough to hold the woman you love doesn't mean you need to get upset. Maybe if you had treated her more like this, you wouldn't have lost her."

Sho stiffened before he growled, "I never said that I was in love with her."

"Would you like to?" Kuon asked politely. "I think I'm secure enough in my relationship to let you try and take her. It'll probably be fun to watch."

Kyoko had stopped trying to shout retaliations and was looking at Kuon in shock. She ripped his hand off her mouth, and he let her, figuring she was mostly in control again.

"What are you saying?" she demanded. "Sho would never say anything like that!"

"**I think you're wrong, sweetheart,**" Kuon corrected gently, turning her to face him without losing his hold on her waist. "**Don't you know? Little boys on the playground always pull a girl's hair when they like her.**"

"**Yes, but they don't throw her out with the trash,**" she argued.

"**Has he thrown you out of here? I thought we were still talking to him, in spite of our insulting and… promiscuous behavior.**"

Kyoko blushed, but said nothing else. She eased out of Kuon's arms and he let her go, but took her hand instead, not willing to part with her completely. Sho and Shoko watched on, only having been able to follow pieces of the brief conversation. Kuon was pleased to see the uncomfortable look in Fuwa's eyes when the boy noticed Kyoko's shy acceptance of her date's actions.

"Sho, if you have something you want to talk about, let's talk. It's late and I need to get home. And you need to get to bed," she added. Looking at the boy, Kuon agreed. Even though he had cleaned up, the concert had not been short, and he looked tired.

There was a moment's hesitation before Sho asked," Did you like the concert?" Kyoko sighed.

"I don't like loud noise, Sho. But you're still a good musician. You sang very well."

"What about the songs?" he pressed. He seemed to be aware that any talk about his flamboyant performance would get him nowhere.

"You're good at writing music," she conceded. "They were fine."

"What about the last song?"

"The last encore?"

"No, before the encore."

"It was fine. Why?" Sho gritted his teeth, shot yet another glare at Kuon, and looked back to Kyoko.

"It was for you," he said simply. She stared at him for a moment, as if she did not quite understand him.

"Sho, this was a romance concert."

"Yes."

"For love songs."

"Yes."

"Sho… you can't sing a song for me at a concert with romantic songs. It… it's impossible."

"It isn't," he retorted. He shot an additional glare at Kuon before adding in a soft voice. "I love you."

There was another moment of silence.

"No."

Sho stared at Kyoko.

"What do you mean no?"

"You can't tell him that you don't love me and then turn around and tell me you do. Besides, it is fundamentally impossible for you to love me," she stated in a chillingly distant tone. Kuon, who could appreciate how much Sho had put on the line with that simple statement, felt a minuscule twitch of sympathy. Pride was a hard obstacle for a man to overcome, especially if it meant putting his emotions at risk as well. And Kyoko was a master at shooting down those feelings even when she was firing blind. Her rebuttal had to hurt.

"Kyoko, you don't understand."

"Don't I?" she growled, releasing Kuon's hand and stepping forward, her eyes blazing. Kuon could feel a swirling force around him, that negative aura that only Fuwa Sho could make her produce. "You don't understand, Shotaro! You have no idea how, how, atrocious that declaration is. You _love_ me! When in your life have you ever done anything for me without expecting a single thing in return?"

"I invited you to my concert," he shot back.

"So I could sing your praises to the sky? Or fall groveling at your feet when you 'confessed' to me?"

"It wasn't like that!" he shouted back, his face turning red in anger and embarrassment. "I just- I can't talk to people, Kyoko. But I had to tell you-"

"You sang your love to every woman in that crowd tonight, Sho," she cut him off. "Every female in that crowd, in the front row, who you looked at and smiled at and reached out to, you gave your love to all of them. Not to me. Never to me."

"I was singing for you!" He looked away. "Like I used to."

"When did you _ever_ sing for me?" She was still angry, but her tone was a little more even.

"In Kyoto," he answered, meeting her eyes again with determination. This time Kyoko was the one to look away. Kuon watched her jaw clench, and thought he saw her eyes gathering moisture. He reached out for her hand again, knowing she had to deal with this herself, but wanting to remind her she was not alone.

"That… that was a long time ago, Sho. You showed me your new songs because I said good things about them."

"Everyone said good things about my songs," Sho growled. "Except for my parents. But I always showed them to you. And they were all for you."

"Really?" she challenged, her fingers tightening on Kuon's.

"Why would I say it if it wasn't true!"

"You never, _never_, sang any of the songs you showed me with your band. You only ever sang other stuff."

"Because those were your songs! The other guys wrote the music for our band. I only wrote music for you!" Kyoko stared at him.

"That doesn't seem like a good method for becoming a celebrity musician," she finally said. "Only singing for one person." Sho snorted.

"You would think, wouldn't you? Why do you think it took me so long to find an agency that would actually take me on? I kept using rewrites of the band's songs for my auditions. But the only agency that took me was the agency where I got desperate and finally sang one of the songs that I wrote for you. They signed me before I left the audition."

Kyoko stepped back in shock, forcing Kuon to drop her hand before he twisted her arm.

"You- you're- you're lying!"

"Ask Shoko," he snapped back. "She was at the Akatoki auditions. Ask her what song I sang!"

"It was the song that he opened with tonight," Shoko answered without any prompting. "It's one of the few songs he still won't let the agency force him to change at all. In spite of the fact that it does _not_ match his image. They told him that when they first signed him. That until he had the clout to cover jumping between genres, he had to stick to an image that wasn't bound to anything."

"I never performed any of the old songs I wrote until tonight," Sho added. "Just that one. You remember when I wrote it, don't you?"

"It was about a princess," Kyoko whispered in anguished accents. "The girl he loved was a princess." Sho nodded.

"You always said I was your prince, Kyoko. I know I haven't been the best one, but I can change that. Kyoko-" He took a step towards her and she stepped back again, bumping into Kuon and grabbing his arm to steady herself. Sho stopped, his fists clenched. "You can't pretend it did happen," he growled. "Even if these past couple of years weren't the best, you can't pretend I haven't been there for your whole life, and you _enjoyed_ it for sixteen years."

Kuon could feel her trembling, but did not move. He could not see her face, and was not certain what the best course of action would be. He stayed still, waiting anxiously for her reply.

"-ren't the only one," he caught her whisper. Sho ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"Kyoko, I can't hear you," he sighed. She looked up, and Kuon thought she was extremely calm.

"You weren't the only one," she said again, this time in a clear voice. "You weren't my only prince."

It was Sho's turn to be confused.

"What are you talking about? I was the only guy, heck, the only friend, that you had."

"No," she answered. "I had another prince. I didn't tell you about him because he left and I didn't think he would come back. And he didn't. Not for a long time." She turned around and looked up at Kuon, a small smile on her face. "But he did come back. And he loves me." Kuon smiled back, stroking her face once before she turned around again to face Sho. "You're right. I did enjoy all those years. And when you turned on me, and took all those years away, the only happiness that I had left is what Kuon had given me."

"Wait, you knew this loser _before_? In Kyoto?"

"He isn't a loser," she snapped. "And yes, I did know him. All those times I was crying, and I knew I couldn't rely on you, _he_ was the one who took care of me."

"It wasn't my fault!" the singer shot back. "It wasn't like I had any clue what your suffering was like. My parents liked me. What was I supposed to say?"

"I already told you," she sighed. "I didn't expect anything. I knew that you didn't know what to say. So I didn't bother you with it."

"You didn't trust me," he grumbled. "Even then, you couldn't even try and rely on me."

She paused and took a deep breath. "I can't accept your feelings, Sho. Maybe, someday, if we can put aside all our hurt feelings, we can be friends again. But you aren't my prince anymore, Sho."

Kuon expected an explosion of some sort, but was surprised when Fuwa, after staring at Kyoko for a long minute, trembling, shrugged and smiled sadly.

"Can you tell me one thing?" he asked, and Kuon realized that the singer was falling back on his cool image to save his shattered and mutilated pride.

"Sure," Kyoko sighed, and Kuon thought he heard a note of relief in her voice.

"What are you going to tell that Tsuruga guy about your… boyfriend." Kyoko froze, and Kuon had to bite back a laugh.

"He, uh, already knows," Kyoko stammered, looking up at Kuon for support. Sho's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I don't think he expects the relationship to last," Kuon added dryly. "I think he considers taking her to one of your concerts something of a kiss of death for us, and doesn't think we'll still be dating by the time I drop her off at home."

He noticed Kyoko shifting a bit and wondered if she was anxious for the date to end or if she was actually bothered by the idea.

"Right," Sho answered, looking between the two of them with narrowed eyes. "And I suppose if you do just happen to get dumped, he'll just step in and… fill the gap."

"That," Kuon replied with a bright smile, "would be between him and Kyoko."

The only response was a disgruntled grunt from the musician. He then turned to his manager and told her to have the couple escorted outside. It was late and they should all be heading home. Shoko, breathing a sigh of relief, skipped handing the two of them over to security and escorted them back out herself.

"I'm sorry that was so messy," she told Kyoko as they went along. "I'm hope you had a good time, in spite of everything." Kyoko smiled.

"It's fine Shoko-san. I'm used to Sho's behavior. And he could have been worse."

"Yes," the manager agreed with such an exhausted and relieved look that Kuon wondered what kind of trouble Fuwa had caused in the past. Besides breaking onto the _Dark Moon_ set repeatedly, hitting Kyoko, and the special horror of the Valentine's Day fiasco. "I'm glad things went so well. And it was nice to meet you, Kuon-san," she added with a kind smile. "I'm sorry my charge was so difficult. He's… never been patient with the men that are around Kyoko."

"I'm sure you've done all that you can," he told her, making her blink at his smile. She stared at him for a moment, then shook her head as if to rid herself of a silly thought.

"Well, goodnight you two. Thank you for coming."

After a brief exchange of bows the couple was left alone to wander down the street towards their car. Kuon took Kyoko's hand, but even though she did not pull away, she did not respond. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Kuon let her walk in silence until she tripped suddenly, letting out an inelegant noise between a shriek and a gasp. She did not fall over, and let out a sigh once she had regained her footing, giving Kuon an apologetic look.

"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention." Kuon noticed her shifting on her feet and grimaced.

"No. It's my fault for not noticing earlier. Hold still for a moment." She obeyed, more out of confusion than anything, and let out another shriek as he suddenly swept her off her feet.

"Kuon! What are you doing?"

"You aren't used to wearing those boots anymore, and you've been walking around in them for far too long," he replied, taking off down the street as she pushed against his chest in protest.

"That's no reason for you to carry me all the way back to the car like some, some-"

"Princess," he interjected with a smile. "But here I was thinking that I was your prince." Kyoko grumbled something under her breath. "You aren't going to start hitting and kicking are you? Last time didn't hurt too badly because your ankle was injured and you couldn't move around too much, but I think you might leave bruises if you kick me with those shoes on." His date stiffened and apologized in a frigid tone.

He kept walking, deciding she had handled enough provocation for the evening. His behavior was rewarded, because even though she did proceed to read him a stern lecture on why he should not be carrying her over such a long distance, once her irritation had abated, she became silent and rested her head on his shoulder, tucking her face into the crook of his neck and sighing contentedly.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled. "Thank you."

"It isn't any trouble," he told her. "Your feet must hurt after how long we were standing in line, and then waiting for Fuwa afterwards. I should have told Ten-san to find some other shoes for you."

"This isn't too bad," she admitted softly. Kuon was glad her face was hidden because he could not be sure that he was not blushing now, and it was far too embarrassing for her to see him like that.

They continued on in silence for a little while longer before Kyoko spoke again.

"Kuon?"

"Yes?"

"We're still breaking up when the date is over, right?"

"You only promised to be my girlfriend until eleven," he told her, sidestepping the question.

"But you're ready to be done with this?"

"_Not even remotely."_ "Kyoko, I've already told you how I feel. I've enjoyed tonight and I plan on enjoying all of the time that I have."

"You even enjoyed talking to Sho?" Kuon considered this.

"There were pieces of that conversation that I enjoyed a good deal. I wasn't happy when he was bothering you though."

"I still can't believe it," she sighed.

"Believe what?"

"That he loves me."

"Why?"

"Well, maybe I can believe it. That isn't really the problem."

"What is?" They had reached the car and Kuon, instead of simply putting her down, set her on the back of the car, standing in front of her while she shifted into a comfortable position. She glanced up at him, then at the ground.

"I think I believe that he loves me now. That he cared about me before, when we were in Kyoto. But I think he really, honestly forgot all about me the moment he became famous. When I became famous too, he could notice me again. I was worthy of his attention. But I feel like he won't always feel the same way about me."

"You think he'll get bored of loving you," Kuon suggested. Kyoko nodded and realization dawned on him. "You think _I'll_ get bored of you."

She would not meet his face, but whispered, "Yes."

His hands found a resting place on either side of her and his sudden proximity caused her to look up. "It isn't true," he told her in a firm tone. "I love you, Kyoko. I'll always love you."

"You can't know that," she countered desperately. "You don't know that you won't meet some other girl that is smart, and famous, and patient, and a good cook, and who isn't completely plain and boring!"

"You aren't plain and boring," he insisted gently. "No one who saw you tonight thought that."

"That's because Jelly-san is a magician," Kyoko mumbled, looking away.

"How much makeup did she use?" Kuon asked as patiently as he could. When she did not answer he could feel his frustration growing. "Kyoko, even if you really believed that you were plain, what have I done to deserve you accusing me of being so shallow as to only love a woman because of her looks?" Kyoko's eyes widened in fright and she shook her head.

"I didn't say you'd fall in love with someone who was just beautiful. I said who was beautiful and smart and patient and-"

"Kyoko," he cut her off, one of his hands reaching up to brush her bangs out of her eyes. "I love _you_."

"But…" she protested, glancing around as if looking for an escape.

"Won't you believe me?" he asked, a pathetic little puppy pout on his face. She fumbled, grasping for an excuse.

"I… I do believe you," she finally admitted. "But Kuon, I'm not worried about now, I'm worried about later. I- I don't want…"

"Do you love me?" he asked, startling her. Her mouth worked silently, but she seemed to be too stunned to answer. "Because it seems to me, that if you're so worried about me falling out of love with you later, you think it is at least a possibility that you might love me enough to not want me to leave. And if you do love me, it means that at least a little, you trust me."

"I- I trust you," she whispered.

"But do you love me?" She said nothing and Kuon had to grab her chin gently and force her to look at him. "I love you, Kyoko."

"You've said that," she mumbled.

"I know, but you won't answer me, so I'm going to say it again and again until you believe it. I love you Kyoko, and I think you are the most amazing and beautiful woman that I have ever met." There was a pause.

"I don't think that you mean that," she told him in a hushed voice. "You don't really think I'm a beautiful woman." Kuon blinked in shock. He had put every ounce of sincerity into that confession.

"Why?" he demanded, completely baffled. She looked away again.

"At the _Dark Moon_ party. When… when I let Kijima-san dress me up." Kuon stiffened at the memory of her walking in on Kijima's arm, but did not say anything. "You said that you wouldn't… do anything to me."

A string of expletives ran through Kuon's mind briefly, but he managed to keep his mouth shut before any of them could escape. This was dangerous territory, and it was going to be his job to navigate all the pitfalls because she had no clue what her simple declaration had done to him.

"Kyoko," he began hesitantly, "that was not the only thing I said."

"No," she agreed. "You started with teasing me that you were going to do something right then and there, and then I got flustered and you said that you were joking and it would be troublesome if I cried."

Okay, that had not been his brightest moment.

"I was joking. About right then."

"Not about me crying," she insisted.

"No, it would be very troubling to me if I ever upset you and you were to cry. I believe I also mentioned that you were a pure-hearted girl?" Kyoko nodded. "I may not have the same… scruples that you do, but that doesn't mean I'm not aware of how you think. I was trying to be considerate."

"Which was easy, because you had no plans to do anything," she pointed out. Kuon repressed a groan.

"Kyoko, I said was _wasn't_ going to do anything. I didn't say I didn't _want_ to." This new idea seemed to be quite beyond what Kyoko was able to handle. After a moment, he watched her first pale in fear, then blush in embarrassment, then shake her head to clear it of whatever thoughts she had allowed to form.

"T-that was just because I was all dressed up, and had my make up done."

"No," he refuted firmly but gently. "While you did look absolutely magnificent, I can't say that was the only time I've found you attractive. In fact, I think my most distinct memory of you still has to be that night on the kitchen floor." Confusion shifted into shame and she turned a brilliant shade of red.

"Y-you were j-just acting. You were Katsuki!"

"No Kyoko. Not Kastsuki. Not even Tsuruga Ren. Just me."

When she did not respond to this, Kuon gave up trying to explain and kissed her. He was careful, not wanting to frighten her, but he did not release her when her initial reaction was to jerk away. The hand not gripping her chin came up to cradle her neck as he deepened the kiss slightly. She did not kiss him back, but he felt her relax at last and pulled back slowly.

Her lipgloss was not flavored.

There was a tense silence where she simply stared at him, all of her thoughts completely gone. There was a part of her brain, an irrational and indecent part, that wanted him to kiss her over and over again. She clamped down on these wayward thoughts with the force of a lifetime of culture and principle behind her. Kyoko could not lie and would be obliged to admit that she very much liked Kuon kissing her. But one moment of brain loss did not change a promise to keep herself away from intimate relationships before she was married. Some people would call it old fashioned, but Kyoko had been raised on the belief that kissing was almost sacrosanct, and while she was personally ready to admit that she loved Tsuruga Ren, kissing Kuon Hizuri, no matter how tempting, was not on the list of things that she was ready to do.

"Kyoko?" His anxious tone brought her back to the present. He had not pulled away, which was comforting and frustratingly tempting. Her fingers moved to touch her lips, trying to understand the sensation that still lingered. The small action alone seemed to comfort her date. Had he thought she disliked it? That was ridiculous.

"I… I think we should get going," she stated quietly, not quite sure how to deal with this situation. If he did not move, and soon, she was going to be tempted to touch him, and she was not quite sure what would happen if she did. He nodded, helping her down from the car and opening her door for her again. She was getting used to that, and even enjoyed it. It was one of those little things that he did that made her feel special.

"Watch your head," he told her as she slid into her seat, still enough dazed that she almost hit the frame of the car on her way in. She mumbled a thank you before he closed her door, then moved to take his own seat. The car started and the perfectly normal sound helped to ground her.

"Kuon, what are we going to do about our disguises?" she asked as the thought suddenly dawned on her that she could not show up at the Darumaya dressed like this. She had not told the Taisho and Okami-san about her date, figuring they would not approve of the concert. Now she wondered if they would approve of Kuon.

"We'll head back to the Takarada mansion. Ten-san has to dye my hair back and you can return the wig and clothes to her then. Unless you want to keep the outfit."

"Can I?" she asked in surprise.

"Yes. It was picked out especially for you. I think Ten-san would be honored if you liked it enough to keep it."

The outfit was not in Kyoko's usual style, but she was an expert with mixing and matching the clothing that she had to make up new outfits. With a limited wardrobe, she had needed to get creative, and while this ensemble was different, she already had ideas for how she could use the pieces with the clothes that she already owned.

Besides, it was her first date outfit.

"I think I'll keep them," she said, and was rewarded with a smile.

"I'm glad. You look good in them."

She turned away before she would blush again. It had been infuriating and embarrassing, but Kuon's casual manner in handing her compliments was not something she was used to. The fact that he was sincere made things even more difficult. She could not disbelieve anything that he said.

Which was what made this so difficult from the beginning. When he had told her, the first time, how he felt, she had brushed it aside with difficulty. Later, in the safety of her own room, she had come up with the entire list of reasons why Tsuruga Ren would not love her and why he had been mistaken in his own feelings. But at that moment, all she could see was a blinding and painful moment, days, weeks, maybe even years down the road, where he would turn and look at her and tell her she just was not good enough anymore.

The very idea that he might say it had been enough to break her heart, then and there. While her own treacherous feelings had begged her to accept him, to run into his arms and weep for joy, a lifetime of failure and abandonment had pushed her away, and she had given up when he did not come after her. His avoidance over the next few weeks had been proof enough that he could not really have meant it. He was being a gentleman and saving her from the embarrassment of having to see him again.

Then, after she had made a fool out of herself and infuriated him, he had returned with a proposal that had both frightened and excited her.

A date.

He would go with her, to the concert, but only if it was a date. Hope, fear, regret, and desire stirred and simmered, but she agreed. She got dressed up, was permitted to see him in a guise that no one else in Japan could, and had been told that he was the fairy prince she had loved so long ago.

Which was when things had started to go crazy. Never mind not being worthy of Ren, there was no way on earth that Kyoko qualified to be the romantic interest of a man who could be mistaken for a mythical being of purity and beauty. Under normal circumstances, she might have been euphoric. Right then, she was feeling guilty and ashamed. She had felt so impressive when Jelly Woods had dressed her up and made her look pretty. But she still could not hold a candle to Ren/Corn. And then, to make matters worse, he was also Kuon Hizuri. Son of the only man Kyoko had ever wanted for a father, and child of two of the most skilled and beautiful people in the entertainment industry. If there was been a wall between her and Ren, there was an infinite chasm between her and Kuon Hizuri. She had kept herself composed partly through force of will and mostly by acting like things were normal.

But the evening had not been entirely alienating either. Kuon's breakdown in the restaurant had forced her to realize there were things in his past that haunted him, and might have kept him from admitting his feelings to her sooner. He had said to her, well to Bo, back when he was having trouble as Katsuki, that he could not have anything precious to him here. It made more sense now. Japan was not his home, and he might be planning to leave someday. In addition, something from before had hurt him, had damaged _his _belief that he had the right to expect happiness and unconditional love. Kyoko could understand that feeling. He had been so strange to her when they sat down to eat, but in spite of his open demeanor and relaxed behavior, she had seen pieces of her beloved senpai in him still. And he was an easy person to be around. She had stopped pretending comfort and had let herself fall into the role of being Kuon's girlfriend. With his foreign looks, it had been easier to reach out to him, and his completely responsive behavior had relaxed her even more. There had been moments of fear and uncertainty, but they were mixed with a soft glow that permeated the entire evening, warming her heart and coaxing her into believing that maybe, just maybe, this could work.

Sho had complicated things. Dealing with two declarations of love when she was still wrapping her mind around the first one was almost impossible. Kuon's assurance that he would not lose her had been irritating and pleasing. His gentle care had been comforting. His love and his kiss had forced her to admit she did not want things to end like this.

She needed time. Time to understand, _really_ understand, Kuon. Time to see that he would not leave her. Time to see that she could handle the things in his past that haunted him. Time to come to love him like she had learned to love her senpai.

"Kyoko." She jolted out of her thoughts, and looked up and out her door, finding Kuon waiting patiently for her.

"I'm sorry," she gasped, stumbling out and forcing him to catch her before she injured herself. He chuckled, and she found herself fighting that fond irritation again.

"Just take it slowly," he told her. "No need to kill yourself going up the steps."

"Sorry," she mumbled. He pulled her into a gentle hug, shaking his head.

"Kyoko, I don't want you to apologize. I really don't mind."

"Sorr-" She stopped, and looked up at him sheepishly. "Yes, Kuon." He sighed and she froze, wondering what she had done wrong.

"No, no," he said gently, rubbing her arms until she relaxed. "That sigh wasn't for you. I forgot to mention earlier that Ten-san knows I'm a foreigner, but she doesn't actually know who I am. Only you and the President do."

"Oh." Kyoko paused to digest this. "Then, I have to call you 'Ren' again?"

"Just until I get you home. Then you can start calling me 'Tsuruga-san.'" Kyoko bit her lip, realizing that she did _not_ want to call him "Tsuruga-san" anymore, but not knowing how to say that without sounding presumptuous. What if he got angr-

She shook her head violently, to dislodge the thought. If he loved her, he would not be angry if she used his name.

"What's wrong?" he asked, and she noticed that he sounded worried. Did he think she was upset at him?

"Nothing is wrong," she told him. "I was just being silly and needed to put my head on straight again."

"Oh." He seemed a little unconvinced, but she could not blame him. She decided to distract him.

"I was thinking that if we're going to have a second date, I'm going to have to talk to you about kissing." There was a slight widening of his eyes, and he pulled her in until her hands were resting on his chest.

"What about kissing?" he asked, his face hovering dangerously closely to hers.

"Um, that is- I- it's not that I didn't like it…"

"I sense a 'but' hiding in that unfinished sentence," he whispered, causing her to shiver slightly.

"Could you not?" she asked in a tiny voice, looking up at him guiltily. "Not yet?"

He paused, but he did not pull back.

"You're still my pure-hearted princess, aren't you?" he asked in a slightly teasing tone.

"Yes?" she replied, a little unsure. She did not think a pure-hearted girl would be so desperate to be kissed again.

"How about a compromise?" he suggested. "I get to kiss you one more time tonight, and next time, when you're ready, you have to kiss me."

She turned bright red, trying to not imagine intentionally kissing him, and eventually managed a small nod. He immediately captured her mouth again, and this time she did kiss him back. It would have been silly not to. This kiss felt more… sure than his last one, and she was glad when he finally pulled away. The idea that self control required practice entered her mind, and she was grateful that Kuon at least had the strength to stop.

"So, I get a second date?" he asked once she had recovered enough to stand on her own again. He guided her towards the front steps, his arm settled comfortably around her waist.

"Yes," she answered, ignoring his teasing.

"I love you, Kyoko." She smiled up at him, and allowed herself to run a hand through his hair one last time before he would change its color back. She was going to miss the blonde.

"I love you too."

"Are you free this Thursday?" Kyoko giggled as she stepped through the door he held open for her.

* * *

_And there it is. I hope that you all liked it. Thanks to everyone that reviewed, and thanks to Will, who helped make this better than it could have been. Sorry for the delay. I hope that it was worth the wait. Now, back to my other works...  
_


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